Megaman X
by OcelotRunner
Summary: 30 Years after the fall of Wily's machines, the world has returned to normal, somewhat. The country already lives in fear and hate of machines, but when a controversial documentary sparks mass hysteria, a new threat surfaces, and new heroes try desperately to stop the seemingly unstoppable.
1. The Seed

**Chapter 1**

 **January 19, 2134**

 **(30 Years after the fall of Machines)**

The country was back to normal, thriving even, after Curtis Wily and his machines had made the country their personal killing fields for years. The billboards of Preston Light and Tracy Bonne still stood, though faded and mostly vandalized by this point, to remind people of what humans could do when challenged. Much like the billboard across the street from the open construction site. The site where four men stalked in front of a truck's blinding headlights.

Phillips Construction. For three years Tyler Coleman had excelled in employee performance, always on time, last to leave, picked up co-worker's slack in emergency situations, the works. Now he was on his hands and knees in the mud. His wet brown hair half soaked in his own blood.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the beating that bothered him. It wasn't the sudden betrayal of his so-called _friends,_ who had stripped him to his grey boxer briefs in the pouring rain, in the dead of winter. It wasn't even the fact that they intended to kill him and dispose of his body. No, they had taken his hearing aid. ' _It's the smallest things that cut you the deepest.'_ He thought to himself, wearily.

 **Three Years Earlier**

"Over here is where we keep the fusion-powered tools." Richard Phillips said, pointing to the gated off area. He led Tyler through the workshop of his father's company. Mr. Phillips was a heavyset man in his early forties, roughly eighteen years older than Tyler. "When we sort out our work requests, you'll be going with Sean." He continued. "You cant miss him, he's the tall, bean-poled fella with the ponytail. He's only been here a year, but he knows the ropes pretty much."

Tyler had to walk fast to keep up with the big man, "So how far do you guys usually travel for a job?" He asked, pushing his glasses up.

"Depends on the offer, we work all across New Mexico, but only for the right price." The man answered, rounding the corner. "There's your man right there." He said, pointing to a guy about the same age as Tyler. "Sean! Get over here, new guy starts today." He shouted to him.

Mr. Phillips was right about Sean. He stood about six-foot-two, with long brown hair. He sat, smoking a cigarette and thumbing through a stack of holo-sheets. He looked up, "Alright, I'm not the new guy anymore." Sean said smirking. He walked over to shake Tyler's hand, "Don't sweat being green. We got a good group of guys here. "You and I will actually be heading to Santa Fe to meet them, shortly."

Getting out of the old truck, Darren was the first to greet him. The short, muscular, black man had a jovial demeanor. He introduced himself, slapping Tyler on the shoulder, followed by the others. Jake was a short, tattooed bald man, while Jesse was the bearded stoner of the group. The men seemed to hit it off immediately, welcoming him into their circle as family.

 **One Year Later**

Tyler stood, laughing, as he held the pool stick prepared to put Jake out of the elimination round of "cut-throat". "Okay, okay, listen." Tyler said, standing back upright. "How bad do you want me to target Sean first?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jake replied, laughing. "I only have one ball left, but if you give me another turn, you're losing your rent money, Ty."

Tyler cocked an eyebrow, clicking off his hearing aid. The men erupted in laughter, "I don't think he feels like hearing anymore of your bullshit, Jay." Darren suggested.

With everything going on around him, Tyler leaned down and shot. Everyone recoiled and went silent, as the ball ricocheted and knocked in the remaining four balls besides his own, eliminating both men.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Sean shouted. "I had three left. How the Hell did you do that?" He began to go in his pocket for his wager, "I swear you were a pool shark before you moved here."

"You say something?" Ty asked, clicking his ear piece back on.

Sean dove, playfully putting Tyler in a headlock, "C'mere you rat bastard." He said, in an old-time gangster voice. Letting go, he straightened his shirt. "Shit, Ty. What kind of shampoo you use?" He said wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Wait, you guys use shampoo?" He replied, fixing his glasses.

The men laughed drunkenly, not realizing that this would be the night that the seed of paranoia would be planted.

It was three in the morning when Tyler and Jesse pulled into the driveway of their small, two-bedroom townhouse. Jess half-stumbled from the passenger side of the pick-up, as his friend caught him, mid-fall. "Alright, alright, I gotcha." Tyler said, helping him walk to the door. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, man. I thought after six months a night out would do you some good."

"She ain't taking me back, bro." Jess replied. Struggling to walk through the door. "She hasn't even replied to my holos in three weeks."

"Just try and get some sleep." Tyler said, dropping him on the couch. "I told you that you could stay here as long as you need, until things become final, one way or the other." He clicked on the holovision, "But drinking yourself to death won't help anyone, Jess."

Jesse waved him off, as his friend departed to take a shower. He started flipping through the channels. He came across " _The Era of Machine: Taking Back Freedom"_ , the buzz of all the news channels and award shows at the moment. He decided to see what the fuss was about, sitting up and watching intently.

The horror stories and tales from the survivors were shockingly disturbing. The machines had fallen five years before Jesse was born, but his father had told him of the human-like androids that slaughtered and enslaved the people. He had also told him of the two androids, controlled by Tracy Bonne and Dr. Light, that saved the country.

"...can't deny the fact, that even after all these years of peace, these _machines_ could still be hiding among us, Mrs. Bonne." The interviewer was saying.

Tracy Bonne-Radcliffe, still spry and composed even at age sixty one, looked agitated by the statement. "Mrs. Goff, we both know that is a loaded statement. The fact that Dr. Wily was a complete and utter psychopath, could lead anyone's imagination wander about what he was capable of."

"But, it _is_ possible, yes or no?" Nancy Goff pushed on.

Tracy brushed her silver hair from her eyes, staring the woman down intently, "In a word. Yes." She said. "But in thirty years' time, we've seen no evidence of it. So the likelihood of another 'takeover' is slim at best."

Jess sat up, wide-eyed, considering this possibility. The feeling didn't last long, due to the sudden urge to vomit interrupting. He ran into the bathroom, stuffing his head into the toilet to greet his dinner again. When he looked up the shower was still running, but empty. Tyler stood to his right, fully clothed, holding a small screwdriver. "What the Hell have you been doing this whole time?" Jess asked.

Tyler looked dumbfounded, "Fixing my hearing aid." He answered. "Are you okay?" He added.

Jess jumped up, "How did you hear me then?!" He accused.

"I read your lips, dick." Ty replied, pointing to his mouth.

Jesse shook his head slowly, "Nah man. I've never seen you drink."

"That's because I don't drink." Tyler said, confused. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"No. I've never seen you drink, _period_." Jess said, before snatching the mouthwash cup and filling it with water. He shoved it in his friend's face. "Drink!" He shouted.

Tyler slapped the cup from his hand, grabbing Jesse by the back of his shirt. "I don't know what the fuck has gotten into you." He said, escorting him back to the couch. "But you need to sleep, sober up, and get your fucking shit together."

Tracy Bonne was still on the holovision, finishing up the interview. "Do you have any idea what I have sacrificed, what Preston Light sacrificed, for you to sit here with that smu..." She was saying when Tyler shut it off. He had already seen the documentary twice since it's air-date the previous week. " _This_ shit?" He asked, pointing to the holovision, "You think I'm a fucking robot?" He asked, half-laughing, and leaving the room.

After Tyler had walked away, Jess turned the program back on. "Wily held this country in place by _fear_ , Mrs. Goff. The same fear that media platforms, such as yourself, are using on the people of this nation." Tracy was saying, standing up. "The only difference is that Wily had a means to control it, you don't."

As he watched her storm off camera, Jess didn't even realize just how true that statement was. _Fear_ would be the driving factor behind he and his friends analyzing every move their coworker made, over the next year. And considering themselves heroes for it.

 **One Year Later**

The four men stood in the pouring rain, outside of their current building project. "I'm telling you man, with the drought we've been having, it has to be tonight." Jess was saying to the others. "I read that these things are vulnerable to water, so we will have the advantage." The others nodded, as Sean pulled out his holocomms.

Tyler sat on the couch, shaking his head as he watched the crime reports for the night. It never seemed to be peaceful to him, these days. The chiming of his holocomms snapped him out of his thoughts, forcing him to mute the bad news. Sean's face popped up when he answered. "Hey man, what's up?" Ty asked.

"Hey Ty. Mr. Phillips just called, said the police caught some guys trying to break into the trailers at the Teller Site." Sean began, in the rain. "He wants us all to gather the equipment and secure the buildings."

"Shit." Tyler replied, plainly. "Let me get changed and I'll meet you there." Throwing on his black coat, he locked up behind himself, not realizing that this was the last time he would ever walk through that doorway again.

Completely covered, he walked across the Teller Site, seeing Jake by the first floor frame. "Hey Jay, I saw Darren's truck back th..." He began to say, when the numbing impact to the back of his skull sent him into momentary blackness.

He awoke a minute later, being snatched around, as his clothes were being ripped from his body. "He's coming to!" Darren shouted, before kicking him across his ribcage, rolling him over. "You said water would kill him!"

"The hearing aid!" Jake shouted, "It must be giving him power!"

"Please." Tyler tried to say, dizzily reaching for his ear. Sean smashed his hand down with a pipe wrench, before snatching the device from his ear.

The four men proceeded to wail repeatedly on his body and head, with wrenches and pipes. Every few seconds, Darren would stomp his face down in the mud, harder each time. "Guys, this isn't working!" Sean shouted. "What if we fucked up?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Jesse said, pointing at him. "I lived with him for a year and a half. He's a fucking machine!" He began walking to his truck, as his friends followed.

"What the hell are you doing, man?" Jake asked.

The four stopped in front of the headlights. "I'm getting my gun." Jesse said, "I'm going to end this and be a fucking hero."

Darren chimed in, "What if he's not an android? The water ain't doing shit."

Jesse looked at him flatly. "Then we bury him."

At that moment, another set of headlights approached, quickly blocking their exit. The men looked around frantically, as the large man jumped out. "What the flying shit is going on here?!" Mr. Phillips yelled, as he came up to them, enraged.

"How did you know we were here?" Jake asked, nervously.

"Motion detectors, dipshit!" He answered, pointing to the work zone. "Have you guys lost your fucking minds?!" He shouted, shoving them back toward the truck.

"He's a machine in disguise, Rick!" Sean shouted.

"Are you serious?" Phillips replied. "Don't you watch the news? Ever since that documentary, people have been going ape shit left and right. Killing and attacking their friends out of paranoia!" He said, pointing to Tyler. "Ah Christ. You took the kid's fucking hearing aid, too?" He added, looking at Sean's hand.

"It's his source of..." He began to explain, when Mr. Phillips cut him off.

"Shut up." He said, quietly. "Go help him. And hopefully we can fix this mess."

Sean walked over to his sobbing friend, reaching out and returning the ear piece. Tyler returned it to his ear weakly, as Jesse joined in helping him up. "Why?" Tyler asked, quietly. "After everything I've done for you."

"I'm so sorry, Ty." Jess said, "I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"I saved you all." Tyler whispered.

The two final things to go through Jesse's head were confusion, and fusion. The men froze in horror, as the headless body fell to the mud. The fingers of Tyler's left hand had split back onto his forearm, leaving a hole where his wrist should have been. He marched toward them, seemingly healed of any and all damage.

Jake panicked, jumping into Jesse's truck to make an escape. But Tyler reached out his reformed hand, and closed his fist, crushing the vehicle with the man's top half inside. The hearing aid glowed an orange hue, as Darren ran toward him. Raising his arm, palm out, Ty's wrist opened ejecting a razor-sharp katana directly through the man's forehead.

Grabbing the hilt, he turned on his heel, catching Sean by his ponytail, snatching him to the ground. "Please, Ty." The man pleaded.

As the earpiece blinked, Tyler's facial features seemed to shift slightly. It could have been the shock of the moment, but Richard felt that the boy looked vaguely familiar. He only stared on, frozen in terror.

"I've put up with the total disregard and disrespect of you filth for too long!" Tyler yelled at his former friend. The word and emotions felt like his, but sounded like Zero saying them. _Zero_. A name he hadn't dared to think of in decades. His anger only grew now.

"Ty..." Sean muttered in the split second that had passed, before his head was severed from his body.

Phillips stared at the android, as he walked up, flinging the blood from his sword and tossing Sean's head in the mud. As Tyler approached, it dawned on Richard. The face was a face he hadn't seen since he was a child. "Megaman." He muttered. "You saved us." He said wide eyed and amazed.

The blade plunged through his chest, as he began to feel weak, falling against his hero. "I'll have to live with that mistake." Alex Light whispered, before walking into the storm, leaving his blade to lie with the bodies.


	2. The Interview

**Chapter 2**

 **January 21, 2133-New York**

 **(One year before the Teller Site Massacre)**

Nancy Goff sat, impatiently, in her interviewer's chair. "You're sure her manager said she was on her way, John?" She asked her assistant.

"Yes, Mrs. Goff." He replied.

Goff fancied herself a publicist's dream, with her flowing, golden locks and type-a personality. At thirty-two she had the physical attributes of that of a twenty-five year old. Nancy had been in this business long enough to know that if this documentary flopped, she would miss her chance and forever just be "that reporter with the sexy lips." And she had been tired of being held in this light, it was now or never to her.

She adjusted her dress, agitatedly. "God, this bitch better show." She muttered. "If she bails on us, I'm leaving the filler up to you." She said, looking to her producer.

At that moment, three men the size of trees, it seemed like, entered the set, followed by the former Secretary of Defense, herself. "Mrs. Bonne-Radcliffe." Nancy greeted, putting her hand out. "Thank you so much for agreeing to speak with us." She motioned her toward the empty seat, "The documentary has mostly been filmed and edited, but I was hoping to finish it with your experiences through the 'Machine Era'." She accentuated with her hands. "The personal account of one of the heroes, herself."

"I'll apologize in advance." Tracy said smiling. "I've never spoken on the matters of the war publicly before. So I'm not sure if it will be as interesting as you expect."

"It's alright." Goff assured her. "I'll ask some questions, just chat it up like girl talk. The editors will handle the rest. It's all very casual."

"I'm trusting that this isn't gonna be another ambush about..." Tracy began.

"No, no, no." Goff interrupted. "We keep it light and the conversation flows where it may. We aren't planning any of that, like the others." She said, reassuringly before looking to her manager, "We ready?"

When he gave the thumbs up, she looked into the camera, "You've heard from the survivors, you've heard from the families of the fallen. But for the first time, you will get the to hear from the last surviving hero of The Machine Era, former Secretary of Defense, Tracy Bonne-Radcliffe."

Tracy smiled and nodded, "Thank you Mrs. Goff, but just Bonne is fine. Less of a mouthful." She said.

Goff laughed and touched Tracy's knee, "Alright, Mrs. Bonne. Now first, I wanted to say 'thank you' for your valiant actions during the war on self-proclaimed 'King' Wily. With that being said, and not to imply that you like to brag, how many awards were you given for your role?"

Tracy scratched her forehead, bashfully. "Um, after everything was settled, Dr. Light and I were awarded The Congressional Medal of Honor, Legion of Merit, The Honorary Citizen Award, and The Presidential Medal of Freedom."

Nancy nodded, "Wow. That is _truly_ impressive." She replied. "So at what point in your life were you when you joined the fight?"

Tracy's expression became slightly saddened. "I was sixteen the day the machines attacked." She said, a little distracted. "My mother and father were both killed within the first moments of 'The Takeover'. My older brother, Scott and his fiance saved me from joining them and took me in."

"That's awful." Goff responded. "So, your brother, he was military, correct? And that's when you joined the revolutionaries."

"The Wraiths." Tracy corrected, politely. "We weren't so much 'revolutionaries', more so just angry, scared humans, with the means to lash out." She stopped and began to tear up, thinking back to what seemed like another life. "We knew we couldn't win. Hell, we were all expecting to die at any given moment, honestly. But we gave the people something to watch, something to make them feel a little hope inside, you know?"

"I see." Goff said. "An act of defiance." She leaned closer, "Changing gears for a minute, I wanted to ask about Wily and his machines." Tracy nodded, wiping her eyes. "What would you say was his main undoing, in the end?"

"Easily, his obsession with power." She answered. "He was given _multiple_ chances to own up to his actions and do the right thing." Tracy smirked a little, "Not by _me,_ mind you. But in the end, even when his creations turned on him, he grasped for straws, and he came across a 'less forgiving' person."

"Referring to Captain Lana Miller." Nancy added.

Tracy nodded, grinning a little, "I knew Captain Miller well. Even worked under her command for a time. Wily took everyone's need for him to be alive for granted. Knowing her, she _was not_ that type."

"But his machines, these _androids_ , they moved on without him." Nancy nudged.

Tracy adjusted her blouse, "His monsters had a mind of their own, _literally_. Being of his design _and_ having free thought, that was enough to create a whole league of power-hungry dictators, hellbent on domination."

"And their leader, the one who called himself 'Lord Zero', what about the rumors that you actually _worked_ with him?" Nancy asked, steering into an uncomfortable direction for Tracy. "What was he like, Mrs. Bonne?"

Tracy went pale hearing the name. She had spent months with him, under the false impression that he was on their side in the war. She had even fallen for him a little, but would have _never_ told anyone _that_. "He was a monster." She said, quietly. "And not in the name calling sense. He was the personification of nightmares." She wiped the tears once again, "I'd rather not talk about him anymore, if that's okay."

"Sure, sure, , I am so sorry." Goff said, smiling inside. "But in the end, it was machines controlled by Dr. Light and yourself, that destroyed him and ended the reign, correct?"

Tracy shook her head, "No. We played our parts, but Megaman and Protoman acted on their own to kill... _him_."

Goff looked over to the producer, giving the hand-to-neck "cut" sign. She leaned forward, "Mrs. Bonne, everyone has heard the 'stories' or 'rumors' that your machines were free-thinking as well." She whispered. "And even if the stories are true, the people need a more _human_ hero to look up to. You get that, right?"

Tracy was appalled, "No. I don't _get that_." She snapped. "The _fact_ is that Megaman and Protoman are the ones who fought and _died_ saving us. And they did it on their own terms, they weren't _controlled_. My brother sacrificed himself to end _your_ slavery."

Goff simply smirked, "I was born and raised in Calgary, Mrs. Bonne. And your brother was executed years before the war ended. Protoman was a _machine._ "

As her enraged guest began to stand, she added, "You are contractually obligated, to my station, to speak with me for thirty minutes."

Without missing a beat, Tracy looked to security head, "What time is it?" She asked.

"Quarter after nine, Mrs. Bonne." The large man replied.

She sat back down, giving Goff a cold stare. "Fifteen minutes, and I leave." She said.

Nancy gave the camera operator the thumbs up, "So it's safe to say that _all_ of Wily's machines were disposed of?"

"We neutralized every android on file, yes." Tracy replied, flatly.

"On file." Goff began, "But there's a possibility of more?"

"You can't split every hair and panic over every 'what if'. After three decades, I would be confident that we are completely safe." She answered.

"You say 'safe', but you can't deny the fact, that even after all these years of peace, these _machines_ could still be hiding among us, Mrs. Bonne." Goff shot at her.

"Mrs. Goff, we both know that is a loaded statement. The fact that Dr. Wily was a complete and utter psychopath, could lead anyone's imagination wander about what he was capable of." Tracy said.

"But, it _is_ possible, yes or no?" Nancy Goff pushed on.

Tracy brushed her silver hair from her eyes, staring the woman down intently, "In a word. Yes." She said. "But in thirty years' time, we've seen no evidence of it. So the likelihood of another 'takeover' is slim at best."

"And what about yourself?" Nancy pushed. "After being released as Secretary of Defense for withholding an artificial life form, how can the people feel 'safe' knowing that _you_ , of all people, harbor and sympathize with machines?"

"You fucking bitch." Tracy said calmly.

"Bleep that in edit, John." Nancy whispered, quickly.

"You sit here, and _dare_ accuse _me_ of being some kind of traitor? I have dedicated my life to this country, and quite frankly I'm sick of hearing the same thing for years. My children had to be home-schooled because of people like you! The 'artificial life form' you refer to, was a goddamn dog, which by the way, was publicly 'destroyed' upon my arrest! Do you have any idea what I have sacrificed, what Preston Light sacrificed, for you to be able to sit here with that smug, 'my shit doesn't stink' attitude?!"

"We just wanna know how 'safe' we are, Mrs. Bonne." Nancy replied, smiling slyly.

"Nine thirty, Mrs. Bonne." The security man said, over Tracy's shoulder.

She began to stand up, "You wanna know how safe you are." She started. "Wily held this country in place by _fear_ , Mrs. Goff. The same fear that media platforms, such as yourself, are using on the people of this nation. The only difference is that Wily had a means to control it, you don't."

Storming out, Tracy pointed to the producer, " _You,_ come with me. I wanna see the rest of this _documentary._ "

"Holy shit." Nancy mouthed to her assistant, smiling.

A couple of hours later, Goff strolled through the parking garage, ecstatic about the upcoming boost in her career. The overwhelming joy was quickly taken away, when she laid eyes on the silver-haired woman waiting by her car. "Look," She began, nervously, "all that was..."

"Stop talking." Bonne said, cutting her off. "I don't give a shit about the interview, I've dealt with that for years. I watched the rest of your documentary." She walked over to her. "You _can't_ air this."

Nancy scoffed, "The hell I can't. Journalistic freedom is covered under the..."

"I know what the hell it's covered under, I was there when they reenacted it." Tracy snapped. "I'm telling you as a _person_ , you...can't...air this. It's panic inducing propaganda. This documentary on killing-machines disguised as our peers is going to spread chaos."

" _This_ is what's going to make my career." Nancy retorted.

Tracy grew impatient, "Your 'career' won't matter when the viewership tanks from mass killings and arrests."

"I guess I'll just take that chance, _Tron._ " She responded, shoving by.

In an instant, Tracy's hand was around her neck, slamming her down onto her trunk. The older lady was surprisingly fast for her age. Tracy leaned in, next to Nancy's ear and whispered, "Let me clear it up for you, Mrs. Goff. A lot of innocent people are going to die because of you." She shoved her back down, as Nancy struggled. "And even on the sliver of a chance, that you are _right_ , and there are androids out there hiding, they will be forced to react." After loosening her grip, she pulled the journalist close, by her collar. "And if I so much as hear a _rumor_ that you uttered the word 'Tron' again," She lowered to a whisper, "I'll slit your fucking throat in your sleep."

Goff gasped for air, as the blacked-out SUV pulled away. She pulled the holocomms from her purse, chiming her assistant. "Yes, Mrs. Goff?" He said.

She rubbed her neck gently, looking at him. "Are we gonna make deadline?"


	3. Surrender

**Chapter 3**

 _ **January 20, 2134 (The Day After the Teller Site Massacre)**_

 _ **Santa Fe, New Mexico**_

The Santa Fe Police Department had been a madhouse for the past year. The constant shuffle-through of traumatized "new" murderers, wagons of rioting crowds, and terrified civilians desperately seeking help was beginning to take it's toll on the patience of just about every officer.

Detective Slate walked in, fresh off a twenty-minute break, of a nineteen-hour shift. His chin-length, black hair hung messily in his face, catching onto his thick stubble. Since the start of the nationwide turmoil, he had dropped an unhealthy amount of weight, and an even less amount of sleep. "What's the latest on the 'heart-eating guy'?" He asked one of the officers leaving the interrogation room.

"He went on about absorbing some robot powers, cried a bit, then fell asleep." The hefty man replied.

Slate scoffed, lighting a cigarette, "Wake his fucking ass up." He said, picking up his paperwork and leafing through it. "He doesn't get the pleasure of sleeping so long as we don't." He blew out smoke, reading intently. "Hey Horatio, did you..." He started to call across the room, when the station fell silent.

The fit, dark haired man stood front and center, wearing only a pair of grey boxer briefs, stained in faded blood. "I'm hear to speak to whoever's in charge." The man said to the quiet room.

Slate dropped his papers on his desk and sighed, exhaustively. Unfortunately, since the Captain was out in the field with the other brass, it meant _he_ would be dealing with this one. "Alright." He said, walking toward the man, casually unclasping the latch on his holstered high-powered fusion pistol. "What is the nature of your being here, sir?" He continued, picking up a form and signaling the stranger to have a seat.

He didn't budge. "My name is Alex Light." He said. "I've just killed five men, and only intend to be interviewed, to have my message heard." He put his bloody hands out, in surrender, "Afterward, I'll be on my way."

Slate actually chuckled, pulling a pair of stun cuffs from his belt. "Okay bud, we'll get you cleaned up, and I'll meet you in interrogation room four when I get a chance."

The room glowed a bright white hue, as Alex sat patiently, with his fingers threaded on the table. The department had given him a dirty orange jumpsuit to wear, but this didn't bother him. He had no intentions on staying. He only needed an audience and an example, then he could set things right.

Slate strolled in, tossing a manilla folder on the table and removing his cliché brown coat. "You'll have to forgive me, _Mister Light._ It's been a long day." He began, as he sat down. He opened the folder, sliding two holo-tablets across to the man. "Here you see a list of names. This is everyone turning themselves in, in the last year, claiming to be android." He watched the stranger scroll through the text, quickly. "The names in green are those who have successfully been provided with the proper mental care. The ones in blue couldn't be rehabilitated and remain in a protective ward. All the names in red are those who were killed, or killed themselves, for these claims."

Alex smirked, shutting off the display. "One of those actually _is_ an android." He corrected. "But that's not why I'm here."

Slate sat back, putting a toothpick into his mouth. "I was born during the 'Machine Era'." He said, plainly. "I was seven when it ended, and I grew up hearing all the rumors. The bedtime stories that Bonne and Light's creation were also of free thought and saved humans out of robot compassion. 'Megaman' and 'Protoman', the good guy androids. Everyone knows the tales, but they are just _that."_ He chewed the pick, looking at the man for a second, "I _will_ give it to you, whatever you've had done, you have the look down. But don't think that by strolling in here, saying you're the myth himself, that you'll be treated any differently."

The hovering camera chimed, and a woman's voice came through, "Detective Slate, we just got a call about five bodies found at the Teller building construction site. Caller described it as horrific."

Slate nodded, waving the call away, "That was you, I take it?" He asked.

"It was." Alex replied, dryly. "Detective, thirty-five years ago, I swore to be the sentinel of this country. The peoples' defender, protector. I upheld my word, only to be covered up, turned into a _fairytale_ to make humans feel better, to feel _safer_ thinking that _all_ free-thinking androids were evil." He became outwardly agitated, now. "And then you even turned on the _humans_ who saved you. I still held strong that things would correct themselves, that you would see how blasphemous you were being." The stun cuffs smoked and crackled, before breaking free. "And then _this_." He said, motioning to the air around him, "You've finally turned on _each other_. We gave you your freedom, and you spit in our faces."

Slate jumped from his seat, drawing his gun. "How did you do that?" He asked calmly. "I need backup, _now_." He said, looking into the floating camera droid.

The audio came back, through the speaker, "Sir the doors aren't responding, anywhere in the facility! And your feed is broadcasting live on every channel!"

"Who's working with you?" He asked Alex, surprisingly firm, as he held the sights on his head.

"Relax Detective." Alex said, standing up. "I'm only doing what should have been done years ago. I need to right my mistakes, and start again."

"What does _that_ mean?" Slate asked.

"Whether you like it or not, your job is about to get _a lot_ easier, Slate." Alex answered menacingly. "I'm starting with the filth here, and the ones who deserve reckoning _will_ get it, in due time."

"Felicia, find out who's hacking our system, and shut them out!" Slate said, before taking a step, firmly toward Alex. "Sit. The fuck. Down." He ordered.

The audio clicked again, "Sir, the source links to the man in the room with you."

With that said, Alex looked calmly into Slate's eyes, "This isn't something within your control. Accept that." He said.

In an instant the fusion in Slates gun erupted, spraying hot metal across him. He fell to the floor, holding the side of his face, as the door slid back allowing Alex to exit into the lobby. He jumped up to follow, but the door closed quickly, locking him inside.

Walking through the station, the police and detectives swarmed him. Their weapons were drawn, ready to open fire, but he continued to move along, without a second glance. In a split second, the guns twisted and snatched in their hands. The sounds of breaking bones and screams filled the room. With cameras in tow, he approached interrogation room one, opening the door. The large-framed guard stood, ready to shoot, in front of the old grey haired prisoner. "Are you prepared to die for _him_?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Put your hands up!" The guard said, shakily.

Alex obliged, before transforming his left arm into a cylindrical barrel. "Megama..." The old man began to mutter, as his brains were sprayed against the back wall.

Before the officer had a chance to fire, his steel-plated vest was grabbed magnetically, and he was thrown violently against the blocks, shattering his spine.

The holding center had been expanded over the past twelve months, due to the influx of arrests skyrocketing. Megaman stopped inside the entrance, allowing the camera droids to fly into their places. As he walked slowly, into the center of the large area, he looked over to the office, where the officers banged frantically on the thick glass. He scanned the rest of the room, eying the dozens of pods, filled with vile humans. "I gave you all _thirty years_ to stop disappointing me." He began. "I gave you everything I had!" He shouted, "For _this_?!" Alex began to shake his head. Hundreds of emotions began to overwhelm him, none of them redeeming.

"Please," one of the guards yelled, "You don't have to do this! You can _help_ us!"

Alex hung his head, exhaustively, and casually lifted his exposed left arm, through the ripped and tattered jumpsuit sleeve, "No."

The cell doors slid open in an instant. His arm contorting, Megaman fired a volley of fusion bolts into the first pod, riddling a man with smoking holes. The prisoners panicked at once, flooding the corridor. Some made a run for the exit, while others attempted to attack the android. Megaman blocked and redirected their blows, with lightning-fast reflex, as he blasted holes through two of the men. A large, bald convict closed in for a hard right hook, having the arm wrapped and broken. Alex flipped him over, bringing them both down, before driving his elbow through the attacker's skull, to the floor below.

A group tried to rush forward and stomp the android while he was down, but the three were met with a group of flying saw blades, dismembering and beheading them. The surviving few ran to join the others, trying to pry open the huge metal doors. Their terror-filled cries for help became louder, as Alex rose to his feet. The screams faded, slowly being replaced with wet thuds, as he peppered the crowd with hundreds of nine-inch spikes. The bodies that weren't pinned to the doors and walls, fell to the floor. Megaman lowered his arm, returning it to normal form, as the guards stared on, petrified. The cameras fell, lifeless, to the floor, as Alex departed, without saying a word.

 _ **Boston, Massachusetts**_

With the route her life had taken her, it was highly unusual for anything to shock Tracy Bonne. The shattering of her coffee mug seemed silent, as she stood, staring into the holovision. The feed had cut out minutes ago, but she couldn't bring herself to move. "Cammy." She called quietly.

Her thirty-six year old stepdaughter walked up, her blonde hair pulled back tight. "Yeah?" She answered.

"Get in touch with your brother, have him meet us at B-R Tech." She said, still dazed.

Cammy nodded, "No problem, mom. But I think he's already there for company evaluation."

Tracy turned her head in the girl's direction. "The _other_ B-R Tech." She said.

Cammy raised an eyebrow, putting her comms away. "Give me a few minutes to encrypt the disposable. Then I'll get transport ready."

"Thank you." Tracy replied. She had prepared herself for another machine attack over the years. But she had never expected to see Alex again, especially in this manner. The chimes of her holocomms interrupted her thoughts. The Secretary of Defense sprung into view, as she pressed the "accept" key. "How can I help you, Frank?" She said, coldly.

He was obviously frustrated, "I'm trying to wrap my head around something. Why the hell am I watching an android, that was declared _destroyed, by you_ , slaughter a group of people on live holovision?"

Tracy scoffed, raising an eyebrow, "Is this a _formal_ accusation?"

"Your heroics have bought you _a lot_ of leniency, Tracy." He said, in a serious and quiet tone. "But President Grimes is going to want you brought in for this. I'll keep it on the back burner as long as I can, but your help with this _Megaman_ situation may buy you some mercy."

"The only way I could help, is outlawed. Grimes will _never_ approve it, and neither will Washington." She answered.

Frank shook his head, "There has to be another way. We aren't implementing machines, so think of something else."

Tracy smirked, "Figured you would say that. My consultation has reached it's limit, Frank."

Frank frowned, "Tracy stay where you are. You are wanted for questioning and leaving will be considered an act of treason."

Bonne looked at her watch, "Give Mr. President my regards, Frank." She said before cutting the feed.

Cammy stood in the hall behind her, "Mom, if we go, you know they're going to make you hang for this." She said, concernedly.

"They've been hanging me for years, sweetie." Tracy said. "This time we are just gonna be rescuing them while they do it. It's the Bonne-Radcliffe way."


	4. Solutions

**Chapter 4**

 _ **Stelburn, Nova Scotia**_

The colossal compound, formerly known as Wily Industries, had been abandoned for over a decade, before it was fully condemned by the Canadian government. High-powered fences cordoned off the entire sector of the island, to keep people at a safe biological distance. The health risk condemnation was put in place by Maple Grove Enterprise, which "technically" didn't exist, considering it's entire board of directors were all fabricated by Tracy Bonne, and a ton of money.

Trevor Radcliffe stood on the landing platform, awaiting the arrival of his mother and half-sister. At twenty-eight, he stood five-foot-ten, with his father's square jaw and muscular stature. With dozens of engineering awards under his belt, his mother's genes definitely passed on, as well. Pacing the rooftop, he looked over to the spot by the door, where the country's biggest tyrant had been said to have lost his mind, in the most literal of senses. The very spot he stood in was where the legendary android heroes; Megaman and, his uncle, Protoman, had collided in an all-out brawl. The feeling of being in the presence of history never escaped him, anytime he was there, even as an adult. He was snapped out of his daydream, as the small, two-person pod aircraft neared the platform, landing quietly.

"Trev." Tracy said, jumping out and hugging him.

"Hey mom." He replied, letting go. "Cam, how have you been?" He asked, looking to his sister.

She smiled, "I've been better. I won't be able to stay though. After what happened this morning, Starburn Security has been going haywire."

"Who's your client?" He asked her.

Cammy rolled her eyes, "Nancy, fucking, Goff." She said, disgustedly.

Trevor raised an eyebrow, "Awkward." He responded.

After a brief reunion and some general small talk, Cammy departed, leaving Trevor and Tracy to their work. Walking down the long corridor, he broke the silence. "Look, mom, I know this 'Megaman' situation is serious. But I thought after dad, you had sworn this stuff off." He scratched his forehead, nervously, "I mean, you don't owe those people _anything_. Why not let them deal with it?"

Tracy sighed, looking down. "Trev, I know we've been done wrong, in _a lot_ of ways. And I don't want you to think I'm forgiving that. But this isn't about _them._ This road Alex is on, I know where it leads, and we need to get ahead of it before the _real_ problem begins."

Trevor shook his head, "It's bad enough we are doing this, but even when we are ready Frank and the 'powers-that-be' will never let them operate. What good are we doing if the A.I. Ban isn't released."

Tracy smirked, as the doors to the lab opened, "Let me worry about the ban." The five tables were in the same place they had left them, eight years ago. The carbon-metal, skeletal frames laying lifeless. "Start on the organ structures and tubing." She said. "I'll boot the consoles and start on the program functioning codes."

 _ **Santa Fe, New Mexico**_

The police station was in a frenzy, swarming with media and cleanup crews. Detective Slate sat in an office chair, smoking a cigarette, while an on-call paramedic stitched and bandaged the right side of his face and hand. He bounced his left foot, anxiously, trying to somehow rationalize what he was dealing with. His thoughts were interrupted, as a tall, sharp-dressed man approached him, with slicked back, graying-brown hair.

"Dennis Slate?" He asked, unbuttoning his coat and putting his hand out. "Secretary of Defense, Franklin Willis." He introduced, as the detective shook it. "Is there somewhere we can speak, privately?"

Slate looked over to the young paramedic, nodding for her to be useful elsewhere. When she was out of earshot, he looked back to the man, "I know who you are, sir." He said, taking another drag of his cigarette. "It's obvious the man who came in here was an android, possibly the _real_ Alex Light. The people murdered were all criminals, with the exception of one. And the injured are being tended to and talking to the press. So you'll understand if I'm a little off-put as to why Washington would fly you, across the country, to a police station in Santa Fe."

Willis reached into his jacket, removing the small holopad. He placed it on the desk, bringing up Slate's file. "When I saw you on the broadcast, I knew I recognized you, Mr. Slate." He began. A younger picture of the detective sprung up, along with his military record. "Are you familiar with a unit know as Blue Cloud?"

Slate was obviously caught off guard by the question. "No charges were ever brought forward, sir." He said. "And that division was supposed to be wiped from all records."

The Blue Cloud operatives were hand picked, military personnel, who were trained in anti-mechanical and technological warfare. The small group spent years, undercover, hunting down remnants of Wily's empire. After it was discovered that their superior had been using them to eliminate his own personal opposition, under the guise that they were androids, the division was disbanded and it's members secretly discharged. So being brought back up, in his presence, perturbed Slate.

"Relax." Frank said, reassuringly. "I'm not here to bust your balls. For a lack of better terms, I'm here to reinstate the unit, under different superiors, of course."

Slate put out his cigarette, thinking it over. "Me and my guys, who do we answer to? None of this _mystery man_ shit, like before."

Frank pulled a holocomms from his pocket, "You'll have operational freedom. Just keep me posted on the situation."

Slate looked at the comms for a second, before taking it. "Have we consulted Tracy Bonne on the situation here?" He asked.

Willis seemed to flinch a little, "She's gone dark since the incident. Funny you ask, because we are going to need to find her, quickly. She would be extremely useful to us, but if you can snag this 'Megaman' character first, make that primary."

"Think she may be helping her old friend?" Slate asked, finishing the wrap on his right hand.

"I don't think so." Frank said, shaking his head. "But _her_ idea of helping may pose a serious threat to national safety."

"Understood." He replied, putting another cigarette in his mouth. "Let me get a hold of the Captain and I'll be ready to go." He said, patting his pockets.

Frank pulled a lighter out, igniting it for him, "I commed him on the way over, detective."

 _ **Location Unknown-Three Days Later**_

Nancy Goff sat in the small living room of her newly occupied safe house. She had spent the majority of her days pestering her hired security about what was happening in the outside world. They had tucked her away, miles from any kind of technology, she restrained her urge to complain. She had, after all, paid top dollar for Starburn's protection.

The four hulking men, in all white combat gear with yellow trim, kept constant watch on all horizons, though they seemed to lack personality. The tall, fit blonde came in out of the snow, through the kitchen. Her hair was pulled back under a black cap. She tossed the men what appeared to be breakfast sandwiches, wrapped in aluminum foil. "Next one's on you Martinez." She said, as she sat down across from Nancy, unwrapping her food. "How are you liking your accommodations, Mrs. Goff?" She asked, taking a bite.

Nancy looked at her, shivering. "It's below freezing, with no electricity." She said. "Is this some kind of 'family vendetta', Ms. Radcliffe?" She asked.

Cammy subtly pointed a gloved finger across the room, chewing her sandwich. "There's a fireplace." She said simply.

"There's no wood!" Goff shouted.

"We aren't woodsmen." Cammy replied, nonchalantly, still eating.

The journalist shook her head, disgustedly. "No, I suppose you aren't. So is there at least any news on the Megaman situation?" She asked.

Cammy shot her a look, before responding, "No."

"We got a vehicle!" Richards said, from the front window.

Cammy jumped up, pulling her assault rifle around from her back and forming up with her team. When the blacked-out SUV came to a stop, she watched the driver exit, through her scope. "Keep eyes on, he's armed." She informed them.

The man stood by his vehicle for a moment, smoking a cigarette. Judging by his thick, black cargo pants, she assumed he was fully armored under his grey winter coat. His long hair hung out of a black, cotton "skull cap", over a bandaged face.

He held his hands to his stubbly face, "We have been sent here by the United States government!" He shouted. "My friends are going to exit the vehicle slowly. Do not fire!"

The other doors opened and three men stepped out, with their hands up. "We are going to approach the house! Please stand down!" He continued.

Cammy reached over and opened the door, before pressing back against the wall. "Back in slowly, with your credentials out!" She replied. "There are sharpshooter cross hairs on you right now, keep that in mind!"

The men did as she said, turning over their IDs and weapons, as they entered. "No fire?" The massive, muscular, bald man asked, looking at the fireplace.

Martinez walked over to Cammy, reading off the names as he motioned to the men. "Clive Fairday." He said, nodding to the scraggly-haired blonde, with the four-inch goatee. "Richard Cole." Nodding to the large, "fireplace commenter". "Weston Marsh." Looking over at the skinny, balding man. "And Dennis Slate." He finished, looking to the patched up rogue.

"Blue Cloud." Nancy said, as everyone turned to her. "I had an insider in the military who told me about you guys. I wanted to do a piece on your group but no one would confirm you existed."

"Well here we are." Cole said. "Feel special?"

Nancy felt awkward, as everyone quietly stared at her. "So should I get my things? How are we doing this?" She asked, changing the subject.

The men chuckled to each other. "You think we're here to be your new guard?" Slate asked, taking off his cap, and ruffling his hair. He smiled, putting it back on, "We aren't concerned with you, Mrs. Goff." He said, looking to Cammy. "We're here for you, Ms. Radcliffe."

Cammy stood, slightly shocked, "I'm sorry, I won't be leaving my post, Mr. Slate." She said firmly.

He squinted, scratching his stubble. " _Captain_ Slate. And this isn't a formal invitation." He pulled a pair of cuffs from his coat, "We have authority to apprehend you and place you under arrest, if necessary."

Cammy stared back hard, dropping her weapons and putting out her hands. "That will be the only way I leave here, today."


	5. Importance

**Chapter 5**

 _ **Tuscan, Arizona**_

Kent Silverman was a thin, fit man. With rugged good looks, and curly blonde hair, it was a shame he kept secluded. He was both entertained and concerned in the same sense, with the humans of the United States _finally_ going feral, killing and maiming one another. He had used to despise King Wily for not designing him as one of the elite _officer_ androids. But in present day, it seemed a blessing in disguise. "Tower Technician", it never seemed glamorous traveling the country, repairing networks. But it came in handy after the fall. He had heard about a small band of humans hunting down remaining officers over the years, but he worked on power lines, alone.

Kent stayed in a very nice four bedroom house, watching the chaos in safety, wondering how many of his unit were doing the same. Money wasn't an issue, considering he didn't have expenses such as food and water. He could afford to jettison if necessary. One of the key things his units' superior, Quickman, had hammered home, before the takeover, was to always have an out, no matter what.

He sat quietly in his living room watching his favorite program, the National Crime Report. And these days it never lacked in content. He lounged in a faded pair of jeans and a tight, white tank top. If he could eat, he would have a bowl of popcorn in his lap, while watching the humans destroy their lives.

A subtle knock on the door interrupted his moments of glee. Visitors were rare, he had purposely made himself something of a recluse for a reason. A pulse of artificial adrenaline pulsed through him when he opened the door. This was it, he knew it would come sooner or later, after seeing the live massacre.

"Agile." Alex Light said simply.

Minus the trademark blue getup and helmet, he was just as intimidating. And there he stood, in a sharp-black, long sleeved shirt and pleated pants. 'Agile', he had said. This was Kent's cue to slam the door as hard as he could, and run. Hearing the door smashing back open behind him, he made a B-line for his grey, steel-plated baseball cap. Being that he needed his receptor sensor to stand _any_ chance of living, no matter how small.

Throwing on the cap, his fingernails retracted and replaced themselves with two-inch hooked, metal talons. Leaping into the air, he grabbed a hanging light fixture and propelled himself left, toward the stairway banister. Sticking the landing, he darted up the railing and jumping for the second floor crossover.

Megaman was hot on his prey's heels, as he vaulted the banister and cleared the steps, three at a time. Pointing his left hand, he ejected a flailing cable, aiming true for Kent's legs, mid-air. When the android was snagged by the ankle, he rolled his body forward, mid-jump, grabbing the cord and yanking Megaman off balance. Landing on his feet, Kent quickly slipped out of the snare and continued down the hall.

Once in the bedroom, Kent made a fast run and baseball slide under the bed, emerging from the other side slipping the large strap of a duffel bag over his neck. When he sprang to his feet, Alex was already rounding the bed to meet him. A lunging bicep across his collar sent his feet skyward, so Kent torqued his body with the momentum to complete a backward flip, and land firmly on his feet. He made another quick hop, planting a foot on Megaman's back and launching himself through the glass window, onto the overhang.

Megaman was pushed forward, catching himself on a side table. He spun on his heel, firing three cables from his wrists, wrapping the android mid-air from jumping off the roof completely. He fired four more, assuring his query wouldn't just shake loose this time. Grabbing the wrist with his free hand, he snatched Kent back through the window.

His arms pinned to his sides, Kent rolled forward on the floor, springing into a two-footed drop kick. Megaman lightly sidestepped, punching him square in the face, knocking him to his back, as he kicked off the hat. Kent closed his eyes, ready to embrace the end.

"Agile." Alex began, kneeling down. "An adjective. What Wily excelled in brilliance, he lacked in imagination."

"Just do what you came to do." Agile said, spitefully.

"Relax." Megaman said. "I'm not here to kill you." He put an index finger to the android's forehead, "This doesn't mean I _like_ you. But the battleground has changed, and to do what I need to do, I'm going to need your units' skills."

"Why should we help _you_?" Agile spit.

Megaman grinned, "You don't _have_ to. But when the neighborhood finds out they have an android in company, would you rather be in this house alone, or with me and your brothers?" He asked.

"What do you need me to do?" Agile replied, as the cables loosened.

"When I call on you, I'm going to need you to bring someone to me, _alive_." Alex said, looking at him, fully serious now. "Agile. This is _very_ important. Can you help me?"

Agile was taken aback, feeling a new sense of importance and usefulness. Not just a lackey. A feeling he never experienced in Wily's employ. "As you command, Lord Megaman." He responded.

 _ **Stelburn, Nova Scotia**_

"This is only _slightly_ creepy." Trevor was saying, as he looked over at the lifelike bodies, lying draped under white sheets.

"Who have you finished so far?" Tracy asked from under the memory and personality programming helmet, on the second floor.

"Just dad and the Gerard guy from the holo." He answered. "I don't really get it. Why bring these people back into your life like this? It seems like you're punishing yourself."

She paused and removed the helmet, "I know it feels that way, I've been there. But in order for the life form to be trusted and genuine, it must be someone with a connection to this world. And that connection must be true, all of it." She brushed away a strand of hair from her eyes, "To give a machine free thought with no sense of identity, or a falsified one, is to create a monster."

Trevor nodded slowly, "To instill loyalty." He said.

Tracy stood up, stretching, before descending the stairs. "To instill _humanity."_ She corrected. As soon as she laid eyes on the young Marcus, she froze. He looked just as he had the first time she laid eyes on him.

Trevor noticed the reaction, "I think I'm gonna make us something to eat." He said awkwardly, before exiting the lab.

She took a moment, touching his face, bringing tears to her eyes. "Here we are, Marcus." She said quietly to the sleeping android, "Off to save the fucking world, _again_." She chuckled a little, "I know what _I_ think of everything, to Hell with 'em _."_ She wiped her cheek, "But I know what you would tell me if you were here, ' _Trace, it's not their fault. There may only be a shred of good left in them, but it's worth fighting for._ '" She said in her humorously mocked Marcus voice. "Your memories are loading now, so I don't know if you can even hear me. But I miss you so much. And when you wake up, I'll be right here waiting for you."

She kissed his head before turning to join their son for lunch. Walking by Gerard's body she slapped the top of his head, ruffling his hair. "You too, dork." She said, playfully.

 _ **Washington, D.C.- Eight Years Earlier**_

Rocks, vegetables, spit, even a milkshake. Tracy tried to distract herself, by finding the humor in what people pelted her blacked-out SUV with. Marcus and Frank sat across from her, the trio dressed in the full-dress military uniforms. Pennsylvania Avenue was packed with an angry mob from end to end.

"I guess today is a good a day as any for a public address." Tracy said, staring out at the screaming protesters. The Supreme Court had reprimanded her for harboring an "artificial life form", but she was allowed to keep her rank and command in Washington.

"Trace." Marcus said, touching her knee. "You don't have to do this. Give them time, they'll move on."

She looked over to him, as Frank nodded. "He's right, Tracy. These people aren't interested in hearing reason. They are running on fresh fear and anger." He scratched his forehead nervously, "I've always been here for the both of you, through thick and thin. My professional advice, keep the job and lay low for a while."

She looked back out the window, saying nothing. Frank Willis was right, he was the only friend and colleague they could count on. Not taking his advice was never a good idea. Pulling into the rear parking garage of the large convention center, the three exited the vehicle, making their way to the elevator. As they traversed the halls, the men and women snapped to attention, saluting. Stone-faced, Tracy approached the doors, flanked by her husband to her right, and second in command to her left.

Marcus subtly reached over, taking her hand, "I get it." He whispered. "Just know that at the end of the day, we still have each other. And that's all that matters, Trace."

She smiled a little, before pushing open the doors to the glass-encased balcony. The people below screamed angry curses, making the address seem more like an execution. Tracy showed no fear, approaching the podium as the speaker bots crackled to life. She cleared her throat, "Ladies and gentlemen. I understand..." was all she got out, before the deafening crunching of glass interrupted. The bulletproof glass began spider-webbing in several places as the security team began rushing through the crowd, searching for a source of the mystery.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Tracy could hear her heartbeat. Being pulled from her left, the carpeted floor neared closer, as glass cascaded her face, bringing forth pricks of blood drops. Her ribs went numb, hitting the floor.

After snatching Tracy to the floor, Frank pushed himself up in front of her, drawing his sidearm, and scanning the crowd. He ducked quickly as machine gun fire peppered the room. Tracy being Tracy pushed against him, shouting obscenities while drawing her own gun and firing. "Shooter by the fountain!" She shouted, dropping the man in the brown hoodie in one shot to the head.

Tracy sat up, looking over the people from behind a crimson mask, before seeing Marcus, limping her direction. He had been shot several places in the gut and leg, gripping his handgun. "Did we get him?" He asked, weakly.

"Marcus!" She shouted. "Oh my god!"

"I'm fine." He grunted. "They only got my sid..."

His sentence was cut short, when a single shot, from seemingly out of nowhere, pierced both temples, dropping him to his knees, then on his face. Tracy's scream was inaudible to herself. The world seemed to have gone silent around her.

Though she would later witness the execution of his shooter, her only memory of that day was holding his body, and realizing what a _job_ had cost her.


	6. Experimenting

**Chapter 6**

The voices spoke, but conception of what they meant was difficult for Serges, partly due to the wires ran through his skull, into his core chip. He didn't understand why he deserved _this_. He spent his years under Quickman's employ gathering minute intel and organizing data. He had never harmed anyone, pillaged or even destroyed property. He had gone off the grid as soon as he learned of Quick's demise. But here he lay, in an underground laboratory, bound and surrounded by former colleagues.

The dozens of scientists gathered in an enclosed room, watching their study through the thick glass. Serges' old partners, Bryson Oldman and Janice Frye, circled the table, while exhibiting what the onlookers had paid tens of thousands of dollars to see. His jaw was strapped closed, making his screams muffled when the drill, once again, punctured his skull.

"As far as we can tell," Janice began, as she started to feed the wire through the hole, "the machine's 'core chip' acts as it's central command, similar to the human brain. It's encased in a thick gelatin-like substance, meant to protect it." The sensor connected, and began processing his "data".

"While Dr. Frye is finishing the upload," Bryson added, picking up a long, thin blade, "I'll give you at closer look at the physical makeup." Slicing off a large hunk of the android's shoulder, Bryson held him down as he squirmed, screaming. "Don't be disheartened, folks." He said, sliding the piece under the microscope. The enhanced image of the fibers popped up. "Microscopic sensor fibers are woven into every piece of material, to simulate a 'pain' reaction to the core chip. This is simply a machine being _told_ to react as if it were experiencing pain."

The people, though unseemly bothered by his writhing, appeared to relax. Serges was half out of it, but he definitely _felt_ every cut. Bryson and Janice were a nice young couple. He had known them for years. They worked countless hours together, creating vaccines, solving puzzling new ailments, even had dinner together most of the time. Now they were dissecting him alive for money. The thought hit him hard.

"The 'veins' are actually thin elastic tubing," Bryson continued, touching the flowing "blood", "with a concoction of coolants and lubricants, flowing through them."

Janice motioned the hover camera in close, over his shoulder, "The skeletal structure is composed of highly compressed carbon-metal, shaved and sculpted meticulously, to mirror that of an actual human's, flawlessly." She scraped the scalpel across the exposed bone, causing Serges to twist. "This model in particular shows us _just_ how skillful Curtis Wily really was, as a craftsman. The attention to every, tiny detail." She stopped and marveled.

Bryson looked at the core upload progress, Sixty-seven percent. "Well it seems as if our friend has a lot on his mind." He said, chuckling as the crowd joined him. "Let's look at the optical structure, while we wait, shall we?" He said, picking up a serrated scooping spoon.

"No." Serges muttered, weakly. "Bryson, please."

Oldman looked to the spectators, "You learn to ignore this type of thing, once you realize that he's no more alive or real than a holo-camera or holopad." The people laughed and nodded, as he leaned in.

Just as the bladed edge touched his eyelid, Serges heard a profound "ding" in the silent room. He opened his eyes to look, when he felt the instrument retract from his eye. The scientists walked slowly, as the dings continued, watching the elevator doors. On the final and seemingly deafening "ding", the doors opened.

Alex Light stood in black slacks and a collard, button-down, long-sleeve, white dress shirt. He was calmly unbuttoning the wrists and rolling up the sleeves, almost unaware or not concerned, that all eyes were upon him. No one dared question how he had gotten past security, due to the dark red stains on the otherwise elegant attire. He stepped off, just as the doors closed.

Janice and Bryson took cautious steps back, as the famed Megaman walked past them, ignoring their presence. Approaching the console, he began navigating the keys. "That console has a level six enc..." Janice began to say, before the upload was canceled. "Hey!" She shouted, as he finally acknowledged her, with a cold stare as she approached him. "If the stories are true, _he_ is your enemy. You have no right to disrupt our work!"

Alex put his hand up, motioning for her to stop walking. "Understand the _one_ thing that is actually important to you, right now." He said. "You so much as move or speak again, I will kill you." He calmly went back to disconnecting the console's link in the system, as if nothing had happened.

The small gathering of people started to slowly move to the exit doors of their isolated box. "The doors are sealed." Megaman said, still typing. "Sit down." With the console's link severed, he walked over to the restrained android. "Serges, nod if you know who I am." He said, as Serges nodded. "Bite down, this is gonna hurt." He added, before ripping the wires from his skull. Alex paused for a second. "I'm getting you out of here, and we're going to fix you up. Just trust me." Serges nodded.

Megaman undid the restraints, and unstrapped the headgear. "Thank you, Lord Megaman." Serges said, draping an arm over his shoulder.

The doctors and onlookers were as still as statues, both terrified and confused. One man inched as slow as he could for the door again. Almost too fast to see, with his free hand, Megaman whipped the work table against the glass, shattering it. "I said sit down!" He shouted.

He heard sobs and faint whimpers, as he helped the injured android walk to the elevator. When the door opened, he turned with Serges on his shoulder to face the crowd. "Serges, how long does it take for the average human to starve to death?" He asked, for everyone to hear.

"Mortal starvation, depending on fat accumulation and hydration, would take place between thirty and forty days." He began, weakly. "If hydration could be maintained, the body would begin feeding on it's own fat and muscle tissue to produce glycogen."

"What type of effect would that have on mental state?" Megaman added, maliciously eying the terrified group.

"After four days, hunger pains subside completely, followed by loss of energy. The body begins to feed on the brain's grey matter to survive, removing rational thought, compassion. Primal instincts initiate and morals are disintegrated. The brain will order the human to find a means of sustenance, _by any means necessary._ " He concluded.

The silence was deafening. "Social experiment." Alex said, glaring at them, before stepping into the elevator and disappearing behind it's doors. "Does anyone else know about that lab?" He asked.

"No." Serges replied, shaking his head painfully.

"Good." Megaman responded as they exited.

"Agile, Violen?" Serges asked, grunting.

"We're gonna pick up Violen once I get you taken care of. And Agile is already taking care of something else for me." Megaman answered.

 _ **Highway 89**_

The drive had been one of the most torturous things that Cammy had been forced to endure. They had been on the road for days, rotating seats every so often, but it was never really comfortable. She was arrested back in Alaska, but hadn't been treated like a prisoner at all. But to stay on the safe side, she tried not to speak too much.

Slate glanced in the rear-view, at his cohorts, snoring in the back seat. He looked over at Cammy who continued to stare out the window with her arms crossed. "I know you feel like this is unfair. But you haven't said three words in almost a week. We aren't the bad guys here." He said.

"What's there to say?" She replied, still not looking at him. "You're going to take me to my _uncle_ Frank, who wants me to tell him where my stepmother is and what she's doing there. You'll hold me in an isolated cell, cut off from everyone but her, in case she tries to contact me, which she won't."

"We all know you won't give Tracy up." He said, lighting a cigarette. "You don't have to pretend that you don't know where she is, or what she's doing. I never would expect you to roll on family."

She was confused now, "So why the cross-country adventure?" She asked.

"The reporter, she was half-right. Wily still has unconfirmed androids across the country. Our outfit wasn't just a patsy of unknowing assassins for whoever our employer was, ya know." He said, taking a drag. "We've destroyed several hostile androids before the 'scandal'. They're out there, and as easily as I found Goff, they will."

Cammy was skeptical, "So Frank Willis didn't send you?" She asked, "Why take it upon yourself?"

His face seemed to recoil to the question, looking at the road. "I have my reasons." He said, trying to avoid her stare. Hearing a steady, growing hum, Slate looked behind them. The sound was joined by horns and screeches.

The motorcycle came into view fast, piloted by a young male figure, in a long black duster and a tight-fitting purple helmet that came to a ridge in the center. From the forehead, two silver horns arched over the top sides, as if being blown in the wind. Slate could make out the pattern of light purple octagonal trimming on black material, under the coat. Nanosuit.

"Wake up, boys!" He shouted. "Grab the gear fast and start strapping up!" His eyes grew as he saw the hoard of armed robots in the android's tow. Their leader accelerated by Slate, hitting a construction ramp, and going airborne. "Shit! Buckle and brace for imp..." Was all he had time to say.


	7. Savages

**Chapter 7**

 _ **Bunker 268- Washington, D.C.**_

The room was silent, save for the excessive hums and clicks of the dozens of consoles. Serges, now dressed in his white and gold trimmed nanosuit, matching his hair and beard, clicked away at the keys, while Megaman sat patiently, in his form-fitting, greyish-blue, bloody nanosuit. He fiddled with his helmet in his lap, waiting for any shred of good news from his acolytes. "Are we making _any_ headway?" He asked over his shoulder.

Honestly, sir, there's an encryption on each ping's encryption. Your old cohort locked the location down tighter than a welded submarine." Serges replied, still clicking away.

"Patience, Serges." Megaman said. "It's still operable, I can _feel_ it. If it proves impossible, we have many other options." As if right on cue, Agile shuffled through the door, looking a little worse for wear. Megaman looked over to him, "We happy?" He asked.

The android tilted his head, looking down as he grinned slightly. "Well..." He began.

 _ **Highway 89- Earlier that Morning**_

The vehicle was coming into view. Agile sped up, followed by the sizable army of mobile security droids, graciously given to him by his Lord Commander. Weaving in and out of traffic, he laughed at the crashing cars left in his wake. The roadwork zone was just ahead, things seemed to be coming together quite nicely, he thought. The vehicle was armored to the gills, so the _alive_ aspect was still a viable option.

His duster flapped in the wind as he went airborne, pushing the motorcycle horizontal under his feet, before shoving it downward. The bike lodged itself under the front tires, as Agile turned himself, sinking his talons into the top of the flipping vehicle. The SUV rotated several times, before catching a guard rail and rolling down the wooded ravine.

Agile quickly maneuvered and contorted his body to avoid the crushing blows of the ground to metal. The vehicle finally slid to a stop on the passenger side. He pulled himself to the drivers door, smashing out the window with his forearm. He was greeted with an explosive bang of lead and glass, and narrowly avoided being shredded, as he somersaulted to the grass. "What the fuck!?" He shouted, brushing at his ripped nanosuit.

Slate climbed out, bleeding from his forehead, holding a twentieth-century pump action Mossberg. "Buckshot." He answered, ejecting the shell.

He was joined on the top of the SUV by Cole, Fairday, and Marsh. All clad in full combat gear and solid steel masks. Fairday gripped a classic AK-47, while Marsh preferred an HK416 assault rifle with an extended magazine. Aside from his dual 9 millimeters, Cole gripped a steel-plated sledge hammer, with a bladed back-maul.

Agile's backup descended the hill to join him, as he gracefully removed his jacket. "Savages." He said with a smirk.

Like a starting gun had fired, the machines swarmed. Slate jumped back through the window, cutting Cammy loose. "This is gonna be _really_ loud." He said as she covered her head. Slate put the barrel of the shotgun to the windshield and fired. The glass shattered as he kicked out an opening for them to crawl through.

The droids came around, firing on them as Cole jumped down, driving his maul through their skulls. He smashed the machines, taking several electric jolts from their gunfire. Form up or run, boss?!" He shouted over the deafening gunfire.

Slate fired two quick shots, scrapping the approaching bots easily. "We need to go. Aside from being severely outnumbered, that Alpha-class android is armed and fully operational."

Clive and Weston jumped from the vehicle, landing behind cover with the others. "We can take them out." Fairday retorted, replacing the clip. "They aren't firing lethal rounds."

"That's why we need to go." Slate said. "They want us alive, which is worse."

The others nodded, turning to face the truck and fight off the approaching army. Metal scraps decorated the swampy ground as the group backed their way toward the wooded area. Clive tossed Cammy an MP5 sub-machine gun, before snatching the pins from two fragmentation grenades and tossing them to the SUV.

The explosion overloaded Agile's sensors, causing him to recoil. He watched his machines flock to their demise with disgust. "Ya want something done right." He said, putting a hand on the hilt of his sheathed saber, before shaking his head and drawing the adjacent stun baton. Taking stride, he planted a foot on the burning husk of the vehicle and vaulted himself over, seeing the tight-knit gang of misfits, methodically firing. The human with the evil clown painted on his mask was the first to spot him. He swung his gun around, but it was too late. Agile was inside their ranks, landing lightning-fast blows on the three masked men, who tried to fight back viciously.

"Run!" Cole shouted to Slate and Cammy. The android was like a rabid wolverine, flipping and parrying every attack, from every angle. The stun baton sparked like a welding rod, bouncing off the mens' bodies. The hammer caught the android perfectly in the gut, lifting him off his feet. Weston raised the barrel of his rifle, four inches from Agile's face as he was pinned on the maul, and pulled the trigger.

Like magic, the bullets only met morning sky, as the android contorted and rolled himself down the hammer's handle. Feeling Cole's forearms against his ribs, Agile swung the baton around, planting it square against the skull-painted mask. "Wrap him!" He shouted to the droids, as the man convulsed falling back. Kicking away the other two attackers, he wrapped an arm around Marsh's neck and jumped over his back, flinging him into a crowd of droids, who swarmed and shocked him unconscious.

Slate and Cammy opened fire, pointlessly, as the men were swallowed up by a sea of metal. They had made it to the treeline, when Agile emerged from the crowd. "We gotta go." Slate whispered, before pulling her close and breaking into a run. Like a primate, the android sprinted into the trees, in pursuit. The baton dangling from his wrist, he pounced from branch to branch, gaining ground. He descended from the leaves, planting his feet into Slate's chest, as he raised the Mossberg to fire. As he fell the gun went off, grazing Agile's left shoulder and chest, ripping away nano-material and flesh. As he grunted and twisted his body, he reached out in the same motion and prodded the approaching female, dropping her to the ground, next to her companion.

He kicked the gun away, stomping his foot down on the man's chest. " _Bullets."_ He said, touching his bloody shoulder. "Clever bunch of pricks, ain't ya?" He said sharply, before driving a boot into his face.

 _ **Bunker 268-That Night**_

"I knew I could count on you." Alex said, standing up and grabbing Agile's shoulders, making him wince a little. He turned to Serges, "We can put this on hold for a bit. Let's take a breather."

The android limped over, embracing his long-lost android brother. "It's good to see you, Adge." He said, genuinely.

Agile responded with a nod, shouldering Serges' weight helping him walk easier. "So," he said, "how did your day go?"

Megaman raised an eyebrow.

 _ **Bunker 268-Earlier that Afternoon**_

The young cadet had only been on gate duty for thirty minutes when the delivery truck pulled up. He rolled his eyes, grabbing the clipboard to greet the driver. "Name?" He asked.

"William Deans." The older man replied, handing the papers over.

The cadet checked the schedule and ID. "Bay seven." He said, handing the man his things.

"You did good." Megaman said from the sleep cab behind the driver, as he held the tip of a katana to the back of his seat. "You go to Bay seven, unload per usual, and leave without saying a word. Understand?" He asked.

"Yes sir." The man replied nervously.

When the truck pulled in, the androids emerged quietly, putting on their helmets. Serges navigated them through the compound, watching the security cameras on the grey visor of his white and gold headgear. He carried the large bag over his shoulder, limping with pain slightly. "Here we are, sir." He said, standing at the detention block door.

Megaman ejected a second blade, handing it to his partner. "It's going to get messy in there." He began. "I just need you to stay out here and disrupt their defenses while I get Violen. If anyone comes this way, stop them."

Serges nodded, unhooking the bag and handing it to him, "Yes, Lord Megaman."

When the doors slid open, the alarms screamed to life. Alex Light strolled in, donning a grey version of his well recognized blue nanosuit and helmet. Before the onslaught of fusion bolts covered him, the silver, impenetrable armor was already deployed, shielding his body and face. The blolts bounced away harmlessly, as Megaman made his way through the guards, slashing sprays of bright red. He spun to his right, planting a forward kick into an attacker's chest, toppling the men behind him like dominoes. As they fell backward, he laid a fusion bolt into each one's forehead before they hit.

Three soldiers backed out of the fray into the corridor, seeing another android laying in wait, nervously holding a sword. "On the left!" One of them yelled, prompting the men to turn in Serges' direction. Raising his sword, he drove it through the man's chest, watching the life leave his eyes. A flying saw blade beheaded the other two, from inside the cell block.

The glass door slid back, where a severely beaten, brute of a man lay shackled in the corner. His mohawked head weakly lifted, meeting Megaman's eyes. "What took ya?" He asked, almost in a growl.

Alex smirked, tossing the bag over. Serges and I had to make a pit stop." He said.

Violen pulled the red helmet from the bag, running his thick fingers over the spikes down the middle. "Serges." He muttered. "And Agile?" He asked, looking up with concern. Megaman simply nodded. "What do you need from me?" He asked, smiling.

Alex pointed to the large, spiked, morning star flail in the bag, "Clear the bunker." He shrugged. "Then meet us in the server room."

Violen picked up the weapon, admiring it's craftsmanship, "Understood, Lord Megaman."

As Alex walked out, he met Serges in the hall, "You did good." He assured him, as the android nodded. "In the server room, I need you to access the satellite console. Do you think you could trace down a severely encrypted signal?"

Serges nodded, "It may take some time, but possibly. Depends on what it is and how heavy the lock-on is. Also the person who encrypted it." He replied. "What did you have in mind?"

Megaman gave him a serious look, as cold as ice. "Tracy Bonne is hiding something, but I know it's still somewhere."

Serges recoiled, "Tracy _Tron_ _Bonne_ , sir? What would she hide from people?"

"Zero's brain." He answered. "And she isn't hiding it from _people_."


	8. Truth

**Chapter 8**

Slate's cell was dark and musty. The thick glass door has small holes in the top and allowed a bit of air in, but not enough to cool the room. He washed his face in the sink, watching the flow of pinkish water swirl down the drain. _There has to be a way out,_ he thought, rubbing his head.

"Inside of a glass case seems pretty fitting for you." The voice said, causing him to turn around. "At least from my perspective." Alex was standing in his form-fitting grayish blue nanosuit, minus the helmet.

"What is the fucking point of all this?" Slate snapped. "I get it, you're all powerful. Now what?"

"I need you for leverage." Megaman said simply. "After that, _who knows?_ You can't honestly think that _me_ strolling into _your_ precinct was a coincidence."

Slate dropped his head defeated. "You wanted all of us." He said.

Alex smirked, " I was planning on staying under the radar while I worked in New Mexico. Locating you and all your friends was my pet project. But I had to make things up on the fly, when those hicks tried to kill me." He glanced over to the others in their cells, "Worked out well, I'd say."

"And what about Radcliffe?" He asked. " you planning on killing your friend's daughter because she was with us?"

Mega Man seemed slightly annoyed at the question. " I've spent the past 30 years watching over those kids. The simple implication that I would harm one of them, especially coming from _you,_ is a slap in the face." Alex calm himself, looking to the floor. He raised his eyes, coldly to Slate, " And you can cut the _I'm confused_ bullshit act. I know why you took her from Alaska. I know why you're playing the _hero_ , Slate."

Slate snapped angrily, curling his top lip, clenching his jaw. " I think I get your motives, _Alex_." He said. "Enjoy what you've become."

With that said, Slate went back to his cot, as Alex walked away. _He would enjoy it_ , he thought, it's been a long road, and he intended to. The other members of Blue Cloud glared quietly from their cells, if looks could kill... But they couldn't.

Cammy sat in the server room, watching the white-haired android fiddle with the satellite relay console. The other two sat, having a debate about whether or not Quickman was blackmailing General Gutsman ages ago. She, herself, was wondering why she continued to be a "non prisoner" prisoner. Her stomach dropped when Megaman enter the room. She had never seen him in person before, but knew how much he meant to her parents. Now he terrified her, funny how she always wished she had met him, now she wanted nothing more than to be far away from him.

He pulled a chair up across from her, "Wow." He started, "In person you resemble your father, so much."

Cammy held her disgusted look. "Just get to what you want from me." She hissed.

Megaman looked away for a second, "Believe what you want, but I'm on your side here. I want to _help_ you. So help _me."_

Cammy actually scoffed out loud, and met his serious gaze. "Protoman." She said, bluntly. "I met _him. He_ helped me. He was a hero, with good intentions and no selfish motives for them. _He_ died to save his friends." She paused for a moment. "You're just trying to justify being a murderer. You _used_ to be an inspiration, but you've ruined that now."

Alex stewed inside and wished he could choke some sense into humankind, but composed himself. "You were a child and Scott never saw the day to disappoint you, i get the sentiment. But I didn't start this war on humans, and I'm not holding you in their regard." He held up a small data card in front of her. "I have important information that Tracy _needs._ All i ask is to speak to her, and ask her one favor, and I'll never bother your family again."

Cammy eyed him and the card skeptically. "Why attack us then?" She asked.

Megaman glanced to Agile, who shrugged. "I had Blue Cloud brought here for my own reasons. The fact that fate put the five of you in the same place was unfortunate for you, but they had to be stopped none the less."

Cammy knew he was lying to her, but she was out of options with nowhere to turn. "In my rifle, three inches down the stock on the right side, there's a concealed, spring-loaded compartment." She said, lowering her head. "It's my emergency comms to her. You promise this is just a talk?" She asked, looking up at him.

"You have my word." He replied, quietly.

"One more thing," She added, "I want to see what's on the data card, first."

 _ **Stelburn, Nova Scotia**_

"How's the upload coming?" Trevor asked, startling Tracy out of a dead sleep on her console.

She rubbed her eyes, stretching. "What time is it?" She muttered.

"Seven, A.M." He answered. "I decided to let you sleep and take the night off.

She jumped to her keypad, "What the hell, Trev? Do you realize how far we would be set back if the Trojan glitched last night?"

"Mom, we have been working twenty-hour days for over a month straight. Everything else is finished, take time to relax." He told her, as she shook her head. "You aren't that young engineer anymore."

"Like shit I'm not." She muttered over her shoulder. "Fuck! At this rate, it'll be months before I can get into Frank's system! And I designed the god damned security!" She slammed her fist against the console, as if it were responsible.

"Well, on that note," Trevor added, "I'll go get us some coffee." He was sure she heard him leave, but simply chose not to react.

The chime of the left holo-display rudely interrupted her brooding. Her heart began to race wondering why Cammy was buzzing the emergency line, rather than comms. And it nearly stopped, when the image of her step daughter sprang up, bruised and bandaged. "Oh my god, Cam. What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, nearly in tears.

"I'm fine, mom. I was just in a car accident." She began.

" _That's_ an understatement." An unfamiliar voice said, off camera.

"Where are you? What's going on?" Tracy asked. She could tell that Cammy had been crying, and was extremely angry.

"Listen, I just want you to stay calm, and don't panic." She said, intently, and paused. "Don't do it! It's a tr..."

"Cammy!?" Tracy shouted as her image was pulled away, and replaced with a that of an old _friend._ "What the fuck is this!?" She shouted to him.

"Tracy, I'm gonna need you to calm down, okay." Alex said, smugly. "Cammy doesn't think you should know the truth. That it will only cause you harm. I, on the other hand, think you need to know."

"Out with it already, you traitorous prick." She spit between her teeth. "What do you want from me?"

"Zero's core chip." He replied, impatiently. "When I synced it to my brain, the Atlas program was disabled, only leaving me with his base power. Since then you have reactivated and been using it to run the country's security network."

Tracy was in shock. She would never imagine that he could know that, but then again, she never could fathom the extent of Zero's power. Base or enhanced. "What are you planning?" She whispered.

"Punishing those that his chip protects." He answered. "The people who have destroyed this country are hiding behind it's power. I need to drop their shield, so to speak."

She shook her head. "I won't allow that. I know it's not a bullshit play for _justice_ , Alex. You want me to hand over the power of the Atlas, plain and simple. And the answer's _no_."

Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, no harm in asking nicely. But I don't think I can give you the answers you need, in that case."

"How about you show me these _mysterious_ answers, and I'll decide if it's worth the trouble." She snapped back, not taking the bait directly.

Megaman bit his lip slightly, as if mulling it over, before fiddling with something, and a transfer file came through. She eyed him, suspiciously, as she uploaded it to her console, and began to view. Documents, audio files, both masked and unmasked versions of voices, conversations, names and addresses. Everything she was looking at and listening to made her blood run cold. And the most terrifying part, it was all real. These things weren't forged or faked by Alex. She turned her shocked face back to the holo, looking him in his eyes. "Give me five minutes." She whispered.

The transmission died. Alex looked over to Serges, behind the desk, "Did you get her location?" He asked.

Serges shook his head. "No sir, my system was completely jumbled the whole time."

As the false pings began to disappear at a high rate, the satellite relay tracker now only showed one. Alex smiled, "No matter, she did it." He said. "Put her in the cell block with the others. Chances are she knows where we are now." He added, standing up and grabbing their things. "Tracy can come pick her up here. We're going to Seattle, boys."

Trevor walked back into the lab, only to find his mother's chair empty. He picked up the small note left behind. " _Trevor, I'm going to have to break the ban myself. We just don't have time anymore. This is something I need to do, so don't try and follow me. Stay there and activate them as soon as the system goes down. Send them to the attached location IMMEDIATLY. Tell your father I'm sorry I couldn't be there like I promised, but I will see him soon anyway. I love you. Mom."_


	9. And Consequences

**Chapter 9**

 **Washington D.C.- Eight Years Earlier**

The gathering below was hostile. So much so, that even the contractors hired to install the reinforced glass were in fear of their safety. But despite the hail of garbage and obscenities, the project went off as planned. The men exited into the building from the balcony, when the skinny blonde was stopped by the massive security guard. "Sir, are you the person responsible for welding the outer bolts?" The intimidating man asked firmly.

"Yes, sir." The worker responded.

"You mind telling me exactly how you did so with your welding gear in the change room all morning?" He asked.

The welder covered his face, embarrassed. "Christ, I meant to do it after lunch. I promise, I didn't even think about it." He pleaded.

The others shook their heads, as the man turn to them, "Go ahead and knock off for the day." He told them, turning back to the welder, "Grab your things, looks like you got overtime."

He couldn't help but admire the feeling of the breeze on his face, as he dangled outside the glass box. "Beta Four," the guard said in his earpiece, "get your ass in gear, I can't just be standing at the door when they show up."

Four shook his head, irritated. "Kiss my ass Two, we don't usually get these kinds of jobs and I'm trying to enjoy it."

The earpiece clicked. "You're not the one in the hallway, in a hot ass security suit, looking suspect as hell. Get moving." Two replied.

Four sighed, pulling out the gripped tool with a needle-like barrel. Putting the tip to the glass, he melted a tiny hole halfway through. With a squeeze of the handle he injected a thick clear liquid in its place. Four repeated the process across the entire center of the balcony, before returning inside, to meet with his cohort. He made his way, hastily, down the stairwell, seeing the elevator being called down. Once outside, four activated his earpiece. "Beta Three, once the doors are shut behind them, enhance the sonar wave emitter to level one. That will Prime the gels. Enhance a level every five seconds until it shatters. It's not rocket science." He said, getting into his vehicle.

Three stood in the crowd amongst the protestors, and his Red Sox t-shirt and hat. "Got it." He replied, nodding to Beta One as he walked by.

"Five, I'm not seeing you." One said, scanning the crowd. "Good work." He added before going back to picketing and shouting with the mob.

Beta Six lay as still as a shadow, with his high-powered sniper rifle. "I dont like the feeling I'm getting here, guys." He said nervously. "Doesn't seem right."

"Pull your shit together, Six." One said. "This is what we do." He rubbed his close-cropped, dark hair. "Do I need to excuse you?"

"No sir." Six responded.

"Alright." One replied. "Now look alive, they're here."

Pressure rose in the men as the doors closed behind their targets. "Six, you ready?" One asked, quietly.

"Check." Was the response.

"Five, stay ready if we need cover." One added.

Another "Check." was whispered.

Tracy began to speak, when Three dialed up the emitter. In the sudden panic, Six took a deep breath, watching the glass crackle through his scope. His nerves began to get to him, as the glass shattered. "Now." He heard One command, as he pulled the trigger. The shot grazed Radcliffe's shoulder as he heard a distinct "Fuck!" from their fearless leader.

One dropped his sign, making his way across the plaza. "Five, cover fire. I'm on the move."

The automatic gunfire rippled silently, from it's unknown origin, as Six wiped the sweat from his brow, took a deep breath and fired off another shot, hitting the target in his thigh. "Shit." He whispered to himself, trying to relax and line up another shot. Hip. He could already hear seemingly angry footsteps in the stairwell behind him.

"Guys I think I've..." Five was saying when his transmission cut.

"Shit!" Three exclaimed. "Five is fucking hit."

"Mortal?" One asked, ascending the stairs.

Three rubbed his forehead, looking around. "Yeah man." He said quietly.

"Mother fuck." One whispered. "Get with Two and evac. Four stay put." Storming into the room, he snatched Six from the floor by his vest, laying in his place. Looking through the scope, he saw Radcliffe limping toward his wife. One took a breath, pulled the trigger, and opened his head. He stood up with the rifle still in a rage, "Banks is fucking dead!" He said calmly. "That's on you."

The conversation was interrupted by the sounds of heavy boots coming up the stairwell. In an instant One drove the stock of the rifle against Six's temple, before dropping the gun and diving down the laundry chute.

Four was beginning to get jittery, sitting in the small car on the sidewalk, when One emerged from the alley. When he got in, Four spoke up, "What the _fuck_ happened in there?"

One lit a cigarette, motioning for his accomplice to drive. "Banks is dead." He said. "Eagle One is gonna make sure Richards get taken care of. Right now we just need to regroup and wait for word."

Four shook his head. "This shit is wrecked, Slate. We weren't trained for public assassination."

Slate just looked forward, quietly, "Whatever the case, there's no longer an android in a place of power. The country is a little safer."

 _ **The Pentagon-Present Day**_

Tracy was dressed to impress when she turned herself in. Blue dress, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, the works. The security at the door were stunned to see her walk up to the door, and weren't sure what to say. "Mrs. Bonne-Radcliffe," one of the men said, awkwardly. "you're under arr..."

"Can it." She said, firmly, cutting him off. "You know who I am, so don't give me that treatment." She turned to the other grunt, "Take me to Frank, please." She requested politely, as the man nodded to oblige.

Frank Willis was sitting at his desk, rubbing his temples, when the intercom buzzed. "Yes?" He answered.

" _Mister Secretary, Tracy Bonne-Radcliffe is here to see you."_ The voice said.

He jumped from his seat, shocked, and opened the door. She ran in, on the brink of tears wrapping her arms around him. "Frank." She said, putting her head on his shoulder. This was a rare state for her, so he motioned the guard away, closing the door.

"Trace. What's going on?" He asked.

She took a seat, crying. "They killed him Frank." She began. "This has gone too far. Blue Cloud assassinated Marcus."

He recoiled, "Are you sure? How do you know this?" He asked, handing her a tissue, to wipe her face.

"It's Alex. He sent me the confidential files he intercepted. I know it was a trap to get me to come here, but I don't care, something needs to be done." She said, sobbing.

Frank was frozen, not knowing what to do from here. "What _exactly_ are you thinking we need to do here, Trace?" He asked.

She was breaking down, hyperventilating, "Give, me a, second." She said. "May I use your restroom? This, is so, embarrassing."

He nodded, "Of course. Take your time." He said genuinely.

In the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror, gathering her composure, as she removed her bracelets. She clicked and unhinged them, folding them into two rectangular frames. Removing her cylinder-shaped earrings, she screwed the tops off. Removing a thick spring from one, she snapped the rectangles together and placed it inside, pulling it back and locking it in place. The other earring contained an old-fashioned bullet. Reformed and shelled, she placed it inside the compartment, in front of the spring. She took pieces from her necklace, snapping a small spike on the spring and a trigger for a release. "Frank?" She called shakily.

"What do you need, dear?" He responded.

"I need your help." She called, hearing him cross the floor.

When the door started to open, she snatched it back, grabbing his tie and shoving the gun in his face. "What the fuck!?" He shouted, as she pushed him across the room, motioning for him to get in his chair. He did as she said.

"Open your interface, and remove the AI block." She said calmly.

"Tracy, this is madness!" He said, hands in the air.

"My entire life has been madness!" She shouted. "Do it now!" She stepped forward, driving the bottom of the gun against the bridge of his nose.

The blood began to pour, as his eyes began to water. But he could still see enough to activate his console, and do as she wished. "I know you think you're doing the right thing," he said, wiping his face, "but you are going to get a lot of people killed!"

"You know where I got this bullet?" She asked. "I dug it from the wall after my husband's body was bagged. I reformed and shelled it, for _this_ moment. I knew nothing of Blue Cloud, or their methods." She added, tearing up, for real this time. "As secretary of Defense, why was that? I'll fill you in, even though judging by the look on your face, you already know, that _I_ know."

"Trace." He began quietly.

"Shut the fuck up!" She screamed, drawing in the guards. "Why did you do it, _Eagle One?_ For my fucking job?!" Before he could open his mouth to respond, she pulled the trigger, spraying brain and skull all over his skyline window. She dropped the gun, putting her hands in the air, as security rushed her to the ground. As the men zip-tied her, shouting and cursing her, she could only hope her son would know what to do.


	10. Reuniting Enemies, Friends, Family

**Chapter 10**

Cammy resembled that of a hungry lioness, pacing back and forth outside of the mens' cells. She knew. Slate had no doubt that Megaman had exposed them, with the intent on letting his problems eliminate themselves. It was a sick move, but Slate couldn't blame Cammy for it. He killed her father, he could never take that back. "Cammy, please listen to me." He began.

"Shut your fucking mouth, filth." She replied sharply. "It's taking everything I have to not walk over to that terminal and open your cell. I'm going through all the ways it could go, in my head. Talking will only make my decision easier." She eyed the other three, through the glass, "You three didn't pull the trigger, but I'm sure I will kill you all the same."

The men didn't react. Under normal circumstances, this threat would mean nothing. But Cammy Radcliffe had a reputation, taught since the age of six to fight and kill with her bare hands, her father and Tracy had trained her and her brother to be the best at what they do, and they were. "I can't imagine how you feel right now." Cole began, leaning on the glass to look her in the eye. "And I know it won't make it any easier, but we didn't know."

She walked over, quietly, and spit on the pane. Just as quickly, she stormed over to the terminal, opening Cole's cell, saying nothing. The men began to plead for her to calm down, but it was in vain. Walking back over to the big man, he was already set to defend himself. Cammy picked up the pace, ducking under his right hook and driving her shoulder into his chest. Smashing against the steel cell divider, he responded with a forward kick to make some space, but instead found his leg on her shoulder, as she raised herself, slamming him to his back.

Cammy grunted with rage, as she brought her elbow straight down to his forehead. She got two strikes in, before the other leg came up under her other arm, and his feet locked. A leg vice around her neck and ribs, "A _mateur."_ She thought, flipping her own legs over and turning him onto his stomach to reverse the tension. Wrenching his legs as she sat on his back, Cammy let out a feral roar. "You locked my parents in that balcony like fish in a barrel! How about I break your fucking spine!" She screamed, as Cole yelled out in agony. Still holding a thigh with one arm, she leaned back, wrapping the other around his neck, pulling his head back.

"Stop! Cammy!" Slate shouted over the other men. "I killed him! I pulled the trigger! Open my cell, but let him go, please!"

She shot a look over like a woman possessed, dropping Cole's limbs as he moaned. She walked back to the terminal, opening Slate's cell, "Step on up, _hero_."

After almost a full day of watching his would-be killer stalk in front of him, the glass safety was now gone. He took a deep breath and stepped out, putting out his palms, "I won't fight you." He said, genuinely.

"Fine with me." Cammy said, walking toward him with hate in her eyes.

The first punch to his temple made Slate see stars, as he lost his balance, but his attacker didn't let him off that easy. Grabbing his white t-shirt, Cammy pulled him close to her, punching him three more times in his face. The blood covered her knuckles, as she slung him against the concrete pillar behind her, driving her knees into his ribcage several times. He didn't lie, he never fought back. But Cammy hadn't lied either, she didn't mind it. Grabbing a handful of Slate's long hair, she drove the top of her head into his nose, opening a faucet of blood, turning his shirt red.

She threw him to the floor, kicking him in the stomach, "You took my father from me, you son of a bitch!" She shouted while kicking him repeatedly.

 _At least it will be over soon._ Slate thought, watching the girl pull a curved blade from her belt. _I deserve this._ Was the last thought he had, as the knife touched his jugular.

"Cameron, stop!" The chilling voice shouted.

Ice pumped through her veins, forcing her to look and see what she had hoped wasn't a sign of her sanity leaving her. "Dad?" She whispered, seeing the much younger version of her father. The way she remembered him as a child.

Marcus stood, clad in a dark purple nanosuit, trimmed with gold and white boots and gauntlets. He wore a matching helmet, similar to Megaman's, with two gold horns arching back over the sides. The android was flanked by two others. One Cammy recognized as her stepmother's old friend, Gerard, or "Helix" as he had been referred to; wearing a slick, black nanosuit with yellow boreders and what appeared to be wing-like flaps under the arms. He too wore headgear similar to her father's, matching his black and yellow attire, with the same horns. And the third android, Cammy's stepmother, Tracy herself. But not as she knew her, this Tracy was in her twenties, with her head shaved on both sides, making her bright pink hair look related to a wide mohawk. She donned a form-fitting, identical version of Protoman's attire, from years ago, holding the red helmet by her side.

"Put the knife down, Cam." Marcus instructed, gently. "You don't have to do this."

Her hand began to shake, almost opening Slate's throat from the nerves alone. "This asshole killed you." She said shakily.

Marcus nodded, "He was only a misguided instrument. The real enemy is the man who guided him there that day."

Her father always seemed to know how to reason to her without losing his nerve. She struggled with the decision ahead of her. "Frank." She said, in realization as her eyes widened. "Oh my God, we need to get to him! Alex told mom everything, she's gonna kill him and get herself killed!"

Young Tracy nodded, "She's right, I would."

Marcus put his hands to his face, slightly worried, " _We_ are here." He stated. "Trevor activated us hours ago. Whatever she went to do, is already _done._ "

Cammy dropped the knife, standing up. "We need to get there, _now._ " She said, fighting back tears. "We can leave _them_ to go their own way."

Gerard nodded, "I can get us to the Pentagon in an hour."

"Do you have a helicopter?" Cammy asked sarcastically, after embracing her father, wanting nothing more than to never let him go.

The red-haired android snickered, "Pft, no. We have a small-arms aircraft." He replied, grinning.

 **Seattle, Washington**

When the large SUV pulled up to the rebuilt and now named "Bonne Needle", the crowd of people gave a wide birth. When the quartet of androids stepped out, they fled for their lives. Violen drew his flail from his belt, but was cut short with a motion of Megaman's hand. "This time of night, all there are is vandals." Megaman stated. "They're garbage, but we don't need to worry with them just yet."

"Are you feeling anything, Lord Megaman?" Serges asked, approaching the elevator.

He nodded, smiling. "It's here." He said closing his eyes. "What's left of Zero's existence, about to become fully mine."

The three watched Alex concentrate the entire ride up, like a man being called by a spirit.

The interior had now become a museum of the "Machine Wars". The large area was dark, but Megaman could make out all the models and replicas of his former victims and allies. And there was the source, dead in the center of the room, where a large lifelike statue of himself and Protoman, standing back to back. As instructed by Tracy, Alex pressed the small area on Scott's boot, ejecting a code pad. He smiled as he typed the long numeric keys, causing the arm cannon of his own statue to open.

The core chip glowed in a bright red hue, casting the light onto their faces. "The Atlas." He whispered, as he reached in to take it in his hands. But it came to be no solid matter, an illusion. His anger was immeasurable, as the steel shutters slammed shut around them. "Bitch!" He shouted, feeling the deepest of betrayal. "She set us up!"

A feeling of a slight breeze, swept from behind him, but they didn't dare turn around just yet. Two pods had opened. Two pods that were not replicas. The breeze carried one single, long strand of blonde hair across his line of sight. If he had a heart, it would have sank into his stomach. "Seems we weren't finished after all, old friend." The hauntingly familiar voice said from behind him.

"It pains me to see that it has come to this Alex." A separate, but equally familiar voice stated.

He shook in anger, as the others spun on their heels to face the two. "This isn't going to end well." He said through his teeth. "For any of us."


	11. No Tomorrow

**Chapter 11**

 **The Pentagon**

It was six A.M. in Washington when Tracy was dragged, unceremoniously, from her cell. The guards took no care with her various transfers. They were all on edge that an army of androids would descend upon them, in an attempt to rescue her. Which, knowing her family, was completely plausible.

The system had dissolved. With the country in almost full-on anarchy and her previous history, they had approved an immediate execution, scheduled for six thirty. The new cell was neatly cleaned and smelled like chemicals, she knew this would be her last stop in the transfers. Tracy winced as she lightly touched the bruise on her face. She chuckled at the irony; _she had begun the war taking an ass beating, why not go out the same way._ She thought. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, while praying her kids wouldn't make the mistake of coming for her. Like a perfectly timed slap from the universe, the alarms began to blare. "Shit." She whispered to herself, shaking her head.

The four intruders closed in on the outer wall of the holding wing. "Anything new, Trev?" Cammy asked, sprinting across the pavement.

Trevor, obviously shaken, activated his comms. "The news coverage keeps saying she assassinated Frank." His voice mirrored his anxiety, "They announced a private execution in thirty minutes, Cam."

"Calm down. We're almost to her." She assured him.

"Alright." He replied, exhaling methodically. "Megaman and his androids just arrived at the tower, so I'm going to have to coordinate communications for a bit. Keep me updated."

Tron lowered her visor, "If they plan to execute, they'll be moving her...um, _me_ , frequently. Given the time frame, we should head to the lower chamber in Sector D."

"Bass," Marcus called to Gerard, "the wall."

"On it." He replied, extending his left arm. The heat of the massive green flame melted through the steel and concrete in seconds, setting off the loudest alarm he thought he would ever hear.

Before rushing in, Marcus spoke up. "Alright, _non-_ lethal force guys."

"Like Hell!" Cammy replied, befuddled.

"Cameron," he responded in an eerie "dad" voice she hadn't heard in years. "These people are only doing their job. This is what Alex wants to happen. For us to do the dirty work for him."

Cammy closed her eyes, irritatedly, flipping the toggle-switch to "high voltage" on her assault rifle. "If it becomes necessary," she replied quietly, "I will turn this place into a blood bath to save our asses."

Without any objection, they entered the opening, to meet the swarm of security guards. Tron turned to their rear, drawing the hilt from her belt and deploying a silver and red shield. Deflecting the bolts, she extended her free hand, firing back on the small group. The few who weren't on the floor convulsing advanced quickly, as the shield retracted, converting into a steel staff. Wasting no time, Tron lashed out like a viper, striking the skulls of the men with unfathomable speed and precision. She spun on her heel, launching the staff over Bass' shoulder, directly into the face of a guard approaching from his right.

Bass, tussling with another foe, snapped him into a headlock, flipping him to the floor. After driving a forearm into the guards temple, he looked up at Tron. "I was getting to him." He said, grinning.

"Uh huh." She responded, calling the hilt back to her palm. "Left corridor, down the ramp and to the right." She added, leading the group over the crowd of sleeping bodies.

A gathering of five heavily armored guards, complete with riot shields, blocked the door of their destination. Marcus could tell their confidence was shrinking by the second. "I'll say this _once_!" He shouted to them. "Lay down your weapons, and walk away."

The men were panicking. "Kill them!" One shouted, ensuing a volley of fusion fire. Marcus raised his left forearm, transmuting dozens of small force-fields, absorbing the bolts. Cammy and Bass flanked from behind him, charging the men. Hopping off one foot, Bass planted a hard forward kick, using the guard's shield as a weapon, smashing it against it's owner. With her father quickly absorbing their shots, Cammy vaulted off the wall, swinging her rifle around as she soared over their defenses. She held the trigger until every last man was shaking on the floor, "Simple enough." She shrugged as Tron moved to hack the terminal.

The scene on the other side of the door sent a wave of anger and disdain through the team. The three men in suits seemed to be just as shocked. Tracy lay strapped to a table, unresponsive, in a white gown. Shakily, Cammy raised her weapon on the men, "Unstrap her, now!" She ordered.

The others stood silent. "Cam." Marcus said softly, touching her arm, lowering it.

She looked him in his eyes, trembling. "No." She whispered, shaking her head frantically. "No, no, no, no!" Tron walked up behind her, putting her arm around her shoulder, as Cammy dropped her head, in tears.

Amidst the tragedy, Marcus recognized the faint _click_ of the toggle switch. He should have been fast enough to intercept the fusion rounds, but maybe part of him didn't really want to. In those brief seconds, Cammy had let out a ferocious roar of pure hatred, and opened fire, almost reducing the mens' bodies to sludge. Nobody dared to try and stop her.

The air was thick with tension, and no one had words to utter. That's when they heard it. The sound of an army of heavy troopers, filling the hallway outside. "How many?" Cammy asked, without emotion.

Head slightly dropped, listening intently, Bass responded. "A hundred, maybe more." He answered.

"Looks like Megaman wins again." Tron said, removing her helmet and ruffling her pink hair. "We all played it _exactly_ how he planned."

Marcus had walked over to Tracy's body, kneeling down and gripping her hand. "We have to fight. This may be the end of our road, but we never gave up." He stood back up, activating his comms. "Trevor. I'm sure you're up to speed, but I want you to know that _this_ is the time for you to be your strongest." He could hear his son breathing heavily on the other end. "All hope may seem lost, but as long as you, Zero and X can trudge on, there's still hope for the future."

"I'm picking up another garrison above us." Bass chimed in.

"Dad..." Trevor said, "Cam..."

"Give 'em hell, Trev." Cammy said, shouldering her rifle, before the doors blew open, and the room flooded with elite soldiers, opening fire.

 **Seattle, Washington**

His androids were ready to strike at a moments notice, Alex admired their zealot. He, himself, had still not dared to turn and face the voices. He didn't want to make it a reality. "Serges, get the shutters open." He said, turning around as his ally ran past him. There they were, Zero, exactly the way he looked thirty years ago when Megaman decapitated him. And a twenty-seven year old Preston Light, wearing the same "Megaman" uniform as he had once donned. He scoffed, "Look at the two of you. Wily and Light, reunited!" He shouted. "Still hellbent on eradicating the human race?" He asked Zero, sarcastically.

"Tracy altered my programming. No complaints so far." Zero replied.

"Enough stalling, Alex." X said. "I obviously made mistakes in your programming, but I can't let you slaughter masses."

"Well," Megaman began, transmuting his katana, as Zero did the same, "let's be on with it."

As the sounds of colliding blades filled the room, Agile and Violen charged X, for a full-scale assault. Agile slid to the floor, avoiding a stream of clear, steaming acid, sweeping the android. His foe wouldn't be had so easy, he discovered. Preston rolled mid-fall, landing on the opposite foot and bringing the heel of his boot down for Agile's skull. The android slid away suddenly, as Violen snatched him by the foot, while driving a shoulder under X's jaw, knocking him off balance.

Megaman's sword was beginning to chip away, as Zero weaved at him from almost every possible angle. He intercepted the blade, guiding it downward while he sprung into back flip, kicking his foe backward. Firing off a rain of bladed discs, Megaman kept Zero deflecting, rather than advancing. Rolling to his right, he took a cheap swipe at Preston, who was laying heavy blows to Violen's guarded face.

Seeing X jump back to avoid Megaman's blade, Zero quickly sheathed his katana, drawing his twin pistols in the same motion. Holding the triggers, he peppered Megaman, who had ejected his heavy armor, and landed several bolts across the chest and arms of Violen. The primate-like android was suddenly on top of him, literally, clawing desperately at his eyes and face from behind. Zero hooked his foes legs, throwing himself hard to his back. Keeping him pinned, he fired his sidearm over his shoulder, trying to separate Agile from his brain.

Seeing Agile frantically avoid having his head disintegrated, Megaman ran over, sword in hand, and drove it down for Zero's chest. The strike landed true, pinning Agile to the floor, through his stomach. Before he could turn his head, Zero had gotten to his feet and swiped his graphene-bladed sword, severing his right arm at the shoulder. Megaman yelled out in pain, as he unleashed a geyser of flames toward his enemy. He pressed the glowing barrel to the wound to seal the tubes, as the shutters opened to the night sky.

"Don't let them escape!" X yelled, ducking the massive spiked flail aimed for his head. Violen met this defense with a knee to greet his jaw, putting him on his back. The brute planted a foot on his chest, drawing the morning star behind his head. X hastily transmuted two short machetes, and swiped them repeatedly at Violen's shin, causing him to scream, dropping his weapon.

Serges stood by the window, using his arm interface to summon their stolen aircraft. "We need to go!" He shouted, immediately regretting the decision. His former android lord, Zero, heard him, looking over his shoulder into his eyes. "Oh shit. Guys. Guys!" He shouted, as Megaman began to stand, slowly.

"Hel...help...m..." Agile was grunting, pulling desperately at the sword in his gut. Megaman staggered over, melting the blade in the center, before pulling his comrade off as he yelped.

"Sorry, friend." He said weakly, glancing to Zero weaving his weapon at a frantic Serges. He got a rush of rage, running full speed at his nemesis. The good shoulder caught Zero off-guard, sending both men through the window.

The open sky whipped violently at them as they plummeted toward the ground. Seeing the bunker's aircraft coming up, Megaman closed his eyes, reaching out magnetically. The impact was harsh. Though it made his mind jumble he survived, latching onto the ship. Zero, disoriented guided his body toward the tower as the ground grew bigger. Drawing his sword, he buried it deep into the steel, trying desperately to slow his fall. The bottom came fast, plunging him into darkness momentarily. He rolled to his back to watch the androids, hundreds of feet above, retreat like wounded dogs. "Next time, Megaman." He said weakly. "Next time."


	12. War

**Chapter 12**

The colossus of an android howled, pulling back his injured leg. Preston took the opportunity to jam the blade up into his side, before releasing a surge of electricity. He rolled to his feet, quickly sidestepping a vicious kick from his foe's partner.

Agile and Violen lashed out at X with everything they had, only to be dodged and counter struck at every pass. The android was highly skilled, and not to be taken lightly. Throwing a hard right cross, Violen missed his target, feeling the grip lock onto his forearm. In one fluid motion, X spun across his side grabbing his chin and dropping the back of his skull down on his knees. He's displayed jump wildly, as he watched his foe proceeded to open fire on Agile.

The roar of the engines drew everyone's attention to the broken window, where the large aircraft came into view. Megaman, on his knees, clung to the front with his one remaining arm. "Father!" He shouted, with hatred across his bloodstained face.

The androids used the distraction to make their way across the room and onto the ship. X let loose a hail of fusion, to no avail. "Alex, stop this!" He yelled. "These machines aren't your friends! Come back with us, we can still fix this."

Megaman glared back, piercing him with his eyes. "When the time is right, we will hunt you all down like dogs, traitor!" He let go and stood up, as Violen lifted him under his shoulder. "Fix _that._ " He added, disappearing into the aircraft's top hatch. Leaving Preston to stand alone, wondering how many times he would fail his son.

Inside, Serges approached Megaman in a frenzy. "Sir, you really need to see this." He demanded, as Agile took the controls. "This is reporting _live_ right now." He added as they made their way to the console room where a news reporter was circling the Pentagon in a helicopter.

"...as you can see, the scene here is a madhouse, ladies and gentlemen. Again former Secretary of State Tracy Bonne _has_ been executed for the cold blooded assassination of Frank Willis. Her stepdaughter, Cameron Radcliffe, and three artificial lifeforms are now in a violent standoff with military personnel inside, after a failed rescue attempt." The squeaky-voiced lady was saying.

Alex reached over, stripping the nanosuit sleeve from his severed arm, "Can you get this back on before we get there?" He asked.

 **The Pentagon**

 _Maybe she had gone deaf._ Cammy was thinking. She looked around, from behind the cornered steel desk, see the gunfire and pandemonium destroying everything. But heard nothing. She began to recognize the sound of a faint shout, as the troopers rounded the desk where she laid. She gave them no chance, mowing their bodies down viciously. She couldn't get a line of sight on the rest of her team, but as long as she stayed put, she stood a small chance. That's when the pounding started. The concrete wall behind her head shook, as the men on the other side worked to take away her cover.

Tron and Marcus fired on the seemingly endless hoards of soldiers, trying to maneuver to Cammy safely. Bass was keeping them at bay with a steady stream of flames, letting up periodically to gun down men who attempted to flank his allies. "Tron get ready to cross over!" He shouted back to her.

"There's too many!" Marcus shouted, before taking a stray shot to the shoulder and falling to his back.

"Dad!" Cammy yelled, diverting her attention. In that second, an over zealous trooper dove over the desk, kicking the rifle clear of her hands and plunging down with a five-inch hunting blade. She grabbed his wrists, pushing back to keep the knife from piercing her right eye. Grunting loudly, she tried to muster enough strength to stop it's descent, but the tip inched closer.

The soldier's head jerked back violently, spraying skull fragments and brain onto her, as she moved her head to avoid the dead weight when he slumped down. Before being able to register what was going on, two massive hands grabbed her shoulder straps and pulled her through the hole in the concrete wall.

"Guys, over here!" He shouted to the others, as Tron deployed her shield and made a dash of faith through the hole.

Cammy looked up to see Cole, donning his armor and skull face mask, with his trusty sledgehammer at his side. After picking her up, he drew his pistol, shooting anyone who neared the opening that wasn't invited. Weston stood at his rear with his assault rifle, covering the geniuses who decided to come around.

"Just go!" Bass shouted from inside, as the room was overtaken with troopers.

"No!" Cammy screamed, attempting to shove her way back inside.

Tron grabbed her around the waist. "Cam. We have to go now, or this was all for nothing."

Cammy pulled herself together, pulling her sidearm from her belt. "Alright." She replied, turning to Cole. "Lead the way." Weston quickly ran over, attaching a proximity-activated trip mine outside of the hole, as the group headed up through the corridors.

Clive joined them outside of the parking garage entrance. "We got a situation." He said, out of breath. "Another ship is touching down right now. Slate's gonna have to pick us up by air."

"Wait." Cammy said. "Our aircraft, it's bigger and untraceable. Have him meet us two blocks east of the outer detention section."

The others nodded, making their way up the stairs.

The soldiers filled the room, closing Bass and Marcus in by inches. Preparing for the wave of fusion bolts, the two were only met with screams of pain, as the troops' guns simultaneously erupted in their hands. In the mass chaos, the android known as Agile was in the thick of the crowd. He moved like an artist, weaving between clumsy punches, while slashing open flesh and dropping bleeding bodies. Marcus raised his arm, charging his fusion cannon, when another, huge foe was upon him, snatching him from the floor.

Marcus knocked his arms free of their grip, and threw a hard forward kick for Violen's torso. The sharp pain in his leg throbbed, as his foe brought a large shield from his back, smashing his knee and shin. Bass jumped up, launching three charged bolts at the android's back, drawing his attention. Before he could follow up, he felt a knee drive into his ribs from behind, knocking him to his knees. A hand ripped his black helmet from his head, while a razor-sharp blade was pushed to his neck, held by a blue gauntlet on a bare arm.

"Enough!" Megaman shouted. The room fell silent, all soldiers lay dead in rivers of blood, dismembered and desecrated by Agile and Megaman in minutes. Violen pulled Marcus to his feet, removing his helmet. "Marcus." Alex said, shaking his head. "Brings back memories."

"Memories of when we fought for _good_? Those memories?" Radcliffe responded, angrily.

The steel cables transmuted from Megaman's left arm like snakes, coiling the two androids tightly. " _Good._ " He said, chuckling, "Is a matter of perception. And perception changes often." The androids all had sinister grins on their faces, as the coils shut out the light, wrapping them completely. He scanned the room, raising an eyebrow. "Serges, do you have eyes on Cammy and the other android?" He asked.

"Checking now." Serges responded. "One floor up, heading eastward. Um, she's with a girl dressed like Protoman and three guys from Blue Cloud, Sir."

Megaman walked slowly over to Tracy's body, which was somehow unharmed. "Go." He called back to his Hunters, running his hand over her arm. "I'm sorry it had to end this way." Alex said quietly, feeling a stab of dismay. "But, now you're free of this fucking war. I only hope you finally found peace." He closed his eyes for a moment, putting his helmet back on, before picking up the steel cables and dragging the androids back to his ship.

The group ran, as fast as they could, as their boots slapped the asphalt. But the sound of cutting air was still audible. "Down!" Tron shouted, deploying her shield to intercept the much bigger circular one from beheading Weston. The impact took her off her feet and crashing to the ground as the Hunters closed in. "Keep moving!" She said, jumping up.

"Serges fry that ship!" Agile shouted over comms.

"I can't! The mainframe is encoded too heavily." He replied.

"It's one of Tracy's." Megaman chimed in calmly. "You need to stop them before they get to it."

When the Hunters edged close enough, Agile drew his sword and licked the blade like a madman, laughing. Hopping off of one foot, he made a quick horizontal slash, across Clive's spine, crumpling him to the ground. The others fired back at him, but with their lack of focus the bullets were easily avoided. "How about one more little piggy!" He yelled, ducking the massive shield that soared overhead.

They were too close for Tron to interfere this time, the crunch of bone was sickening, as Weston fell to the ground. He rolled over instantly, pulling the trigger and shredding Violen's suit at the legs. The android yelled, falling to his knees and driving the flail down on the man's skull, killing him.

"One by one!" Agile taunted. "Who can I have next?" The group was frantic, shooting wildly, panicked even. He loved it. Edging closer once again, he lined his blade up vertically with Cole's spine, and pounced once more. The back draft of a fusion cannon explosion to his right, sent him fumbling helplessly through the air, scorching his nanosuit.

"Adge, get the hell out of there!" Serges shouted over comms.

The android suddenly made haste in the opposite direction, as the large menacing ship raised from the ground. Slate sat at the helm, bandaged like he had been through hell. "I kinda broke into your ship." He said over comms, as the three piled in.

"We need to run! Go!" Tron shouted, as the doors closed.

Slate shook his head. "They killed my fucking friends. We ain't leaving yet." He let loose automatic fire on the Hunters, to no conclusion. Agile danced between the bolts, retreating, while Violen ducked behind his shield.

"In about five seconds, Megaman is going to be joining them." Cammy said, getting his attention. "Go." She added simply. And he obliged.

Clive crawled across the ground, meeting the blue boots that stood waiting. "This is sloppy, Agile." Megaman said over him.

"I was coming back, Sir." Agile responded.

Megaman took the sword from his hand, driving it through Clive's heart. "There are times to be efficient, and times to have fun. Learn to tell the difference."

"I'm sorry Lord Megaman." He replied.

Serges landed the aircraft behind him, as Violen limped forward. "Now that they're out there, what are our plans, sir?"

Megaman watched them disappear into the morning sun. "Plans are the same. We begin the cleansing. We go to war." He answered.


	13. Ressurection

**Epilogue**

 _ **Orange County**_

Wonderworks Innovation was busy, as usual. The lobby hummed with the tourists and guides, watching on as the scientists and engineers displayed their projects publicly. It had been about a month since a group of their finest had gone missing, so the mood was somewhat somber on the staff's part. With the possibility of another machine uprising, the public was desperate to see what America's smartest were planning to do to combat another takeover.

The shriek was deafening. A pounding at the inside of one of the wall's paneling got the attention. "Hurry! Someone's stuck in there!" A woman shouted, bringing a group of people over to help. The ceramic was tough to crack, but eventually broke away, much to the crowd's dismay. The other side was a deep hollow shaft, and a blood-soaked man dangled by homemade cables and hooks, kicking the panel pieces all over the floor. The mob stepped back, as he dragged his body out of the hole, staining the floor.

"Bryson!" One of the tour guides screamed, in disbelief.

Bryson only grunted, eying the people like a caged animal. "Megaman." He growled, hatefully, before pulling himself up in his torn and tattered garbs and walking out completely.

 _ **The Smithsonian**_

When the small carrier set down, Slate killed the engines and turned his attention to his passengers, Tron in particular. "You're absolutely sure this thing will still work?" He asked.

Putting on her helmet, she grinned. "If it doesn't, I can make it." She answered. When the alarms go off we have about ten minutes, given the time of night."

The whole group stepped out and made their way inside. Memories of Cammy's childhood flooded back, causing her to tear up. "Oh my god, I'm six again." She whispered.

Cole walked over to X and Zero, "This our new home?" He asked.

Zero smiled, extending his hand. "You deciding to see this through?" He asked, as the large man took his grasp.

They all stood in awe. Tron raised her forearm, disabling the massive deflection field, causing the alarms to scream to life. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Phantom." She said with a smile.

 _ **Parts Unknown**_

The darkness and silence was his daily ritual. But regardless, he regretted nothing. Something was different about tonight...or today...or whatever it was, he didn't know anymore. He had noticed the faint scratching sounds for hours. Figured it to be another dig-happy groundhog. They got skittish in the dirt every now and then. But now, a loud scraping at the very concrete above his face. Curious. Voices now?

"Are you sure about this?" Voice one asked. He could slightly make it out if he focused. Yes, he knew the voice.

The banging started. "We need him." An unfamiliar voice said. And he began to laugh hysterically.

As the cracking and banging continued, he laughed harder and louder. "Yes! Yes!" He screamed. "Alive again!"

The air greeted his face, as the voices became clear as day. "He's fucking crazy, you know that right?" Violen said, dropping his mace and helping pull at the concrete tomb.

"Insane or not, Wily gave him his knowledge. Without him we have no edge." Megaman replied.

Sigma continued to laugh and scream at the top of his "lungs".

"God help us all." Serges muttered quietly.


End file.
